


To Belong

by Prince_Hel



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: (my first multi-chapter story with smut in it you guys!, (really it's just a drop that I don't even know if it can count as such), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff, Light Angst, Smut, also ... Carol's a motorcyclist and part of a club, okay only in one chapter but it still counts right? lmao)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2018-12-19 22:52:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 42,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11907879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prince_Hel/pseuds/Prince_Hel
Summary: Carol and Therese's lives had a drastic turn two years ago ─ while one of them, under unfortunate circumstances, was forced to live a life she hadn't planned to have, the other was finally living a life she had chosen. Now their paths, that couldn't be more different from each other, were about to come together and their lives would change once again.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, guys! Have you got sick of me already? :P
> 
> Fun Fact: I had the base for this story long before Trust Me was a thing but the ideas never started to flow until so much later; then the idea for Our Story appeared as I was writing this and the desire to write OS was bigger than I decided to pause this one ... I sincerely thought this idea was going to end up abandoned and then, inspiration struck :) [I hope you guys enjoy it!](https://media.giphy.com/media/145hX7QVWqyili/giphy.gif)
> 
> I have an amazing beta. Thank you so much, Ligeria!

_**Monday** _

Carol loved the feeling of the wind hitting against her body and tousling the hair that came out of her helmet. She couldn’t wait to reach a town to take it out, not having any kind of restriction. There was a freeing sensation in it, although most likely that had to do with the whole picture of driving a motorcycle on a highway, without any care in the world. From time to time, it still felt surreal to her that this was her life since her mother died two years ago and she had gotten divorced ─ she used to be a housewife, a very boring life now that she looked at the past but that was what Harge wanted and, after coming from a family that believed that women were only fit to be wives and mothers, she never had the chance to be anything else.

She only married due to her mother’s pressure, to one of the sons of the woman’s friend. After falling ill, she took the opportunity to guilt-trip Carol because she was going to die before seeing her only daughter married, that she would never be in peace because she wouldn’t know that there was someone taking care of the light of her life. She should have known that her mother wasn’t completely sincere because she never used pet names to refer to her unless she wanted something. Despite it all, it hadn’t been terrible to be married to Harge even with all the dullness. Over time, she truly started to care for him and he was quite charming when he put his mind to it.

But three weeks after burying her mother, her husband began to talk, trying to appear nonchalant, about forming a family. It was then that Carol felt as if she was waking up from a dream, the realization that she was living a life she never wanted only for yielding to her mother’s wishes in a successful attempt to control her life one last time. Her only response to Harge’s comment was the request for the divorce, not caring if she was doing something drastic but she couldn’t spend one more second living a life that her mother had created.

After becoming a free woman, the first option in Carol’s mind was to take a prolonged vacation, to leave behind the place that for so long worked as a cage instead of a home but she wasn’t convinced about the typical version of it, taking a flight to a certain destination ─ she wanted to leave with the thrill of not knowing where she would end up next. Her life had been controlled for so long that she was craving the unexpected.

Days later she was with in a motorcycle shop where she met Abby, a friendly motorcyclist with brown punk style short hair whose arms and neck were heavily tattooed, who had been more than happy to help her choose the most appropriate bike for her. That was how she also got an invitation to tag along with Abby and some of her friends for her first ride so she could know if this was what she truly wanted to do after she revealed her plans to the woman. After that weekend, Carol didn’t have any doubts; this was giving her the opportunity to have the unplanned life she was looking for.

Carol slowed down a little, admiring the beauty of her surroundings without taking her eyes from the highway, when a soft and distinctive bip warned her of an incoming call. She smiled ─ these smart helmets had been the last brand new item in their equipment and she was still fascinated by them. She licked her lips before connecting the call. "What is it, Abby?" From the corner of her eye, she could see her friend speeding up a bit so she could be next to her.

“I think we should stop in the next town. We have been driving all night and it’s time to take a break.” The fatigue was clear in her voice, making Carol feel a little guilty because it was often that she lost track of time when they were riding because driving injected her with energy.

“Of course. I’m sorry. You should have told me sooner,” she stated apologetically.

“Don’t feel bad about it. We only saw a road sign barely five minutes ago.” It was always reassuring to be surrounded by people who understood her love for this.

“All right, where are we heading to?” She stretched the fingers of her left hand several times, as if she was trying to give them a rest after spending so long clenched around the hand grip.

“Patřít, California.”

Carol raised her eyebrows at the name, but she decided to not comment about it. It wouldn’t be the first or last time they came across with towns with strange names ─ at least this one she was able to pronounce. After humming her affirmation, she heard the soft sound of the call being ended and she felt glad when she saw the road sign telling her that they were close because once Abby mentioned it, she realized that she was pretty tired too.

 

* * *

 

“I don’t understand how this place is still open when they sell this kind of food,” Dannie complained, letting the piece of turkey sandwich he was holding fall onto his plate.

“Because there are idiots like us who still come and pay for it,” Genevieve sassed back.

Therese smiled fondly at her friends’ exchange without lifting her gaze from the photos she was looking at. She was still in awe that they managed to overcome their differences once she came back to the town. She and Genevieve were childhood friends thanks to the fact that their parents had known each other for practically all their lives; but Dannie was the most recent addition to the group, only having lived three years here, looking for a calm place after experiencing a violent mugging in the city. Thanks to her job as her father’s assistant, who was the mayor and knew everything that happened around, Genevieve met Dannie when he was looking for a place to live and after hearing his story, the woman developed an unexpected sense of protectiveness towards him that sparked their friendship.

There were awkward months in the beginning, once Therese formed part of their lives, when both of them became interested in her ─ apparently in her friend’s case, absence indeed made the heart grow fonder and Dannie was simply enthralled because he had never seen such a pretty girl ─ putting her in a very uncomfortable position. She felt guilty of ruining their friendship whenever one of them flirted with her in front of the other one, clearly trying to win her over and not minding belittling the other one in order to achieve it. The flirting still happened from time to time, but after a few weeks to allow them to lick their wounded prides once Therese gathered the courage to tell them she wasn’t romantically interested in them, it was only in a playful way.

“If you hate it that much, why did you ask us to meet here?” Therese lifted her green eyes to look at him briefly. The small restaurant was old-fashioned compared to other options around the town, and for the same reason there weren't many people in it, making it at least quiet.

“Because this is the only place that is at the same distance from our jobs where we can talk calmly.” He sighed, resigned, and picked up his sandwich once again.

“Next time you can prepare the food so we can have a nice picnic together.” Genevieve was eating with zest as if Dannie was only exaggerating, which in Therese’s opinion, he was, although she also thought that Genevieve was able to eat anything. It was true that the food wasn’t the best but it was edible.

Without bothering to answer his friend first, Dannie looked at Therese. “Aren't you going to eat something?”

“I’m not very hungry and I want to finish with this.” She pointed to the photos. “But I’ll help you finish your plate.”

Dannie smiled, satisfied, while Genevieve paused to look at Therese too. “Is my father making you work too hard?”

“No, you know he would never. But I want to focus to start with this as soon as I can.” During her working hours, nothing else existed beyond work and for her, lunch time counted as working hours. It was worth it though, so she could give all her free time to her sister.

Genevieve smiled softly at her, knowing her reasons but before she could say something, the sudden rumble of motors distracted them, making them look through the window. Therese looked with surprise because it wasn’t a normal sound for such a tranquil town. Both of her friends made a whiny sound when a group of motorcycles appeared in their sight, provoking curiosity in Therese but before she could ask, her eyes focused on the woman that was a little ahead of the rest. She was wearing oversized black sunglasses, tight blue jeans that seemed kinda painful, black ankle boots, and a black leather jacket but the toothy smile as she ran a hand through her blonde hair was what caught Therese’s attention. Her joy was so contagious that she didn’t even realize she was smiling until she saw her own reflection in the window.

Therese was about to pull her gaze away from the image, because there was no reason to be so fascinated by a motorcycle gang, especially when it wasn’t the first she had seen them ─ not even the fact that there were only women made it unique ─ but just when she was giving one last look, the other woman turned her head their direction. Even when the sunglasses could mislead, Therese knew she was looking at her, she could _feel_ it, making her heart skip a beat for some reason. But the magic of the moment only lasted one second because in the next, her eyes widened when she saw the woman lose her sense of direction thanks to her distraction and head straight for her car.

Therese stood up before the imminent impact occurred, not saying anything to their friends, knowing that soon they would join her. She stepped outside in time to hear a worried voice. “Fuck, Carol, are you okay?!”

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” There was a slight edge to her voice as she rubbed her thigh, still sitting astride the motorcycle.

“What in the hell happened?” The rest of the group had stopped close to the woman.

Someone spoke before Carol could do it. “I thought motorcyclists have to always be aware of the road. And to wear a helmet.” All the eyes focused on Therese, most of them watching her with curiosity with the exception of one pair looking embarrassed (she wasn’t wearing the sunglasses anymore and Therese chewed her lip to not stare at the woman with fascination because she was beautiful) and another that was frowning at her.

Carol didn’t want to seem so obvious now that the reason for her accident was in front of her. She knew there was no one else to blame for this but her, but the young woman ended up being more captivating than the landscape and now that she was closer, giving her the opportunity to appraise her better, nobody with eyes should dare to blame her. There was something regal in the vibe she was exuding, and the knee-length green skirt suit with matching jacket and white blouse she was wearing, made her appear older than what Carol suspected she was, though the mid-back length brunette hair held in a loose ponytail gave her an endearing childish appearance. Despite the peculiar combination, she was the most attractive woman Carol had ever seen.

“Who the hell are you?” It was impossible to conceal the annoyance in the woman’s voice.

Carol rolled her eyes. “Abby-”

“I’m the owner of this car,” she said, pointing at the car where Carol’s leg ended up sandwiched.

 _Of course it had to be her car._ She had to fight against the strong impulse to smack her hand against her face. “I’m sorry. Your car is fine, though; my leg took all the impact.”

“Oh, I know.” She got closer and Carol felt surprised because people often walked away after encountering Abby’s fighting dog attitude. “An alarm would have gone off otherwise. But how’s your leg?”

The pretty stranger was looking at her with sincere concern, making it a little difficult to answer right away. “It’s okay,” she lied. Her leg was currently throbbing insistently and even when she knew it was nothing serious, she would end up with one hell of a bruise.

Therese narrowed her eyes, not quite believing her but she got distracted for a moment, feeling her friends presence behind her. She turned her head slightly, without taking her eyes away from Carol, and nodded as a reassuring gesture to the newcomers. “Right.” The sarcasm was evident. “Still, I think I should take you to the hospital.”

“Look, _child_ , your car is fine so you really shouldn’t-” Abby had crossed her arms, like a scolded little girl after the first time she was interrupted but as she talked again, she uncrossed them, stretching an arm towards Therese.

“Abby!”

Carol’s scream went unheard because in that moment, Genevieve was stepping forward, leaving Therese behind her. “Look, _lady_ , and I’m not quite sure you deserve such title,” she remarked with disdain, “perhaps it’s unknown for you, but my friend is only being a decent human being, wanting to assist your friend in her stupidity.”

Therese was sure everyone heard when she choked on her own breath since they fell into a silence filled with tension, until Carol snorted. “She definitely has me there.”

For a moment everyone seemed unsure of how to proceed. It was clear that the group was surprised with the feisty duo of young women, with the exception of the tattooed woman that looked at Therese’s friend with indignation. “Everyone, let’s calm down.” Dannie bravely dared to draw everyone’s attention. “There’s no reason to make a fuss when we just want to help.”

 _‘We’ is quite the understatement,_ Therese thought, since she was the only one with that in mind. She rubbed her forehead tiredly, her eyes closed while the action lasted. “If you don’t want my help, that’s fine. I was only offering because I live here and it would be easier to take her instead of giving you directions.”

Therese’s gaze quickly diverted to hot-headed woman, expecting her to say something but Carol hastened to say something before her friend could. “I actually think that’s a pretty good idea.”

Abby suddenly shifted her attention to her, her attitude softening. “Carol, we don’t-” but she saw the conviction in her eyes, knowing that no matter what she said, there was no way to change her mind. “Are you sure?” she desperately tried one more time.

“Absolutely. I’ll be fine.” She smiled reassuringly as she nodded. “And before you say it,” she added when she saw her opening her mouth, “you can’t come. I need you to take care of my bike. Find us a place to stay and I’ll call you when I’m done.”

Therese was paying attention to the conversation, trying not to be so obvious by looking at the ground but she couldn’t help but listen when she felt someone holding her by the elbow, causing her to drift her attention to see Genevieve biting her lower lip pensively before sighing as Dannie got closer. “You want any of us to go with you?”

Shaking her head no, Therese smiled, hoping to tranquilize her friends even when she was feeling slightly nervous though she was sure that it wasn’t because the other woman was just a stranger. “There’s no need. You would only waste your time. I’ll just take her to the hospital and that’s it.” It was clear that Genevieve wasn’t really convinced, but she nodded curtly without saying a word.

Turning around, Therese watched the moment Carol came down off the motorcycle ─ she was trying to appear graceful but on her first step she wasn’t capable of hiding the pained expression on her face as she limped. She looked around, her eyes locking with Therese’s, who was looking her with interest as she fought against the desire to smile smugly at the fact of being right but she just dipped her hand into her jacket’s pocket to pull out the car keys, deactivating the alarm. Both women moved in synchrony to their respective doors, making a gesture with their heads to their friends before disappearing inside the car.

 

* * *

 

They drove in a surprisingly comfortable silence for a few minutes, a moment that Carol took advantage of to look through the window, admiring the unfamiliar place she was in now. The town, embellished with a lot of flora, was colorful and peaceful, something that Carol was sure didn’t change much, no matter the hour. The establishments were very taken care of but in a more personal way than because people were trying to give just a fancy appearance ─ it was as if the owners were looking to make sure their clients felt at home. The houses, even when each was different, made you think of a community for the homey prettiness you could feel by just looking at them. A few times, Carol saw small children playing in the front yard and some older ones on the street since there wasn’t much traffic, people preferring to walk or using non-polluting transportation. It had a very welcoming atmosphere.

“I’m sorry about Abby, my friend,” Carol whispered as if she didn’t want to truly break the silence, turning her head to look at Therese. “She can be … overprotective sometimes.”

“It’s okay, I get it.” Especially because she had her own overprotective friend. “I’m sorry about my friend calling you idiot,” she smirked when Carol chuckled. “Though she was right.”

The chuckle turned into a full laugh after that clarification. “I know, but what can I say? I got distracted by a stunning girl,” she admitted unabashedly.

Thanks to her friends, Therese was used to excessive flirting to the point she wasn’t affected by it anymore. Every word slipped as if it was soap even when it came from foreign people. But this time she felt something she hadn’t felt in so long ─ a warmth crawling up her face that warned her about an uncontrollable blushing as her heartbeat quickened. Not bothering with a reply, she clenched her hold on the steering wheel, pursing her lips as she let out her breath through her nose at once.

Carol was watching in fascination the reaction her words caused but she wasn’t going to push. “Do you always take strangers into your car?”

“You are not a complete stranger, _Carol_.” Therese cringed inwardly because with this she was revealing she had been paying more attention than what probably she should have before, though luckily, this time she was provided by an extra reason why she could know such information and her brain was quick to remember. “You have the tag name on your jacket.” She fleetingly looked at her companion, shrugging, hoping to convey that it wasn’t a big deal how she knew her name. “I thought that was something you guys did only in tv shows and movies.”

Lowering her gaze to her jacket, Carol smiled. “It’s only for the ‘Welcome to the Club’ jacket, not for all the clothes we wear.”

“I see.” She tried not to smile at imagining the woman’s happiness when that happened. Perhaps Therese had never interacted directly with one but she was aware how much it meant their lifestyle to motorcyclists. “Anyway, I couldn’t just leave you when I was apparently then only realizing how truly hurt you are.” Narrowing her eyes, she looked at Carol, though she lowered the speed for a moment. “Because I’m sure you would have downplayed it all the time.”

 _I would have_ , Carol thought, looking at how Therese focused back on the road, speeding up once again. She was used to it. In the group they always carried their accidents as badges instead of fussing about it, unless it was something really serious that going to the hospital was necessary and this time it wasn’t. She knew that her friends were going to tease her endlessly for that so the least she could hope for was to learn everything she could about the young woman who was the reason for being in such position.

“You are a very kind person,” Carol said softly as if she’d discovered something precious and didn't want to scare it off. “It’s not easy to find someone like you.”

Once again, Therese blushed and rolled her eyes at herself mentally. “I’m just doing what any decent human being would do.” She cleared her throat in an attempt to not look so affected.

“And what’s the name of my savior?” It was somewhat silly that they were at this point and she hadn’t thought about asking first.

The car came to a halt before Therese could answer. Carol looked through the window, realizing they had reached their destination. When she turned to look back at the driver’s seat, the woman smiled before getting out the car without saying a word, making Carol frown slightly but just as she was reaching to open the door, it was opened by Therese, who held out a hand for her to take but instead of taking it, she lifted her gaze to lock eyes with her, looking at her with confusion, as if she didn’t know what was trying to imply.

This time, Therese did roll her eyes but she smiled in a friendly manner afterwards. “I saw the limping, Carol. Let me help you.”

Taking Therese’s hand with all the intention of freeing herself once she was standing and after closing the car’s door, Carol wasn’t capable of reacting once the young woman held her by the waist with one arm, waiting for her to drape an arm around her shoulders, something Carol did mostly out of instinct than because she was thinking about it. She closed her eyes at the closeness, taking a deep breath that only affected her more as an intoxicating fragrance filled her nostrils, only opening them when she felt how Therese’s fingers slowly wrapped around her wrist before they made her way towards the entrance of the hospital.

This time, Carol didn’t look around, feeling as if someone had cast a spell on her and she could do nothing more than to focus all her senses on the woman next to her, only able to walk because she was being guided by her. Just one word was able to break the spell. “Therese!”

It took a moment for Carol (and she supposed it was fair that she found out her name in the same detached way the other woman had done so with hers) to realize he was calling the young woman until they were stopping so Therese could address the person that was running his way to them. “Hi, Richard.”

The dark haired eight year old boy was wearing a lab coat according to his size that made him look adorable even when it was clear he was trying to look like a small adult. “I didn’t know you were coming today.”

Therese chuckled with amusement. “It’s not like you can plan unexpected things to happen, buddy.”

It was then when he seemed to be conscious that she wasn’t alone and he looked at Carol with suspicion. “Who are you?”

Therese answered before Carol did it. “She’s my friend and the one who needs your father’s help. Is he in his consulting room?”

“Yeah, I came from there because he asked me to give this to Mom.” He raised the folders he was holding. “He’s free right now, so you should take advantage of it.”

“I will, thank you.” She smiled brightly at the boy, making him blush. “I’ll see you later, buddy.”

They had taken a few steps when they were stopped again by Richard with a soft but also clear. “Hey!” They waited until he was in front of them once again, both women looking confused, Carol even more so when the kid’s attention focused solely on her as he frowned. “Just so you know, Therese and I are going to marry when I’m old enough.”

The aforementioned woman wasn’t able to contain the gasp that escaped her mouth. Everyone knew that Richard had an innocent crush on her ─ he was always claiming he was going to marry her eventually, especially when someone showed some kind of interest in her, making everyone laugh because it was cute and funny but this was the first time he made it sound like a warning. It was also very peculiar that he was reacting like this with a person Therese barely knew and who also didn’t know anything about her, though he wasn’t aware of such circumstances.

“Right.” Carol chewed her lip in an attempt to not laugh, unsure to how to react. “That’s … good?”

A lopsided smile appear on Richard’s lips. “Yeah, it is.” But he was frowning again in the next second, as if he remembered he couldn’t be a nice guy in front of that woman. “I just wanted to make things clear.”

“Oh, it’s very clear, young man, no need to worry.” Only Therese was able to catch the amusement in her voice, making her fight against the desire to laugh too. They were able to hold off until the boy walked away after saying goodbye to Therese in a very friendly way while Carol got a cold nod with his head.

They resumed their walking after calming down. “I’m sorry about that, I don’t know what got into him.” Her voice was slightly hoarse due to all the laughing.

“I just hope I didn’t create any trouble between you and your _fiancé_.” Therese snorted at Carol’s words, dragging a chuckle from her. “Are those close to you always this protective, _Therese_ , or am I the reason why?”

The woman shivered and she wondered if it was for the seductive way Carol pronounced her name or due to the fact that she had tilted her head while doing it, caressing her forehead with her breath. “A little bit of both if you want honesty,” she admitted with embarrassment. However, she didn’t share the same sentiment. She wouldn’t be here if she thought Carol was a bad or dangerous person.

“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t able to deal with honesty.” She smiled reassuringly when the green eyes focused on her.

Before she could answer, they were in front of Dr. Maxwell Semco’s door and Therese sighed, feeling surprisingly disappointed because their interactions were about to come to an end. Knocking at the door, they didn’t have to wait long for the door to open, revealing a tall mature man with salt and pepper hair; Carol supposed he was around her age, probably a few years older but his amicable features made him look younger, particularly when he smiled at Therese with affection but once he paid attention to the woman next to her, he went into full doctor mode, stepping aside so they could get inside the room.

“What happened?” he asked once Carol was sitting on the exam table, Therese standing next to it after helping the woman to hop on it, so the doctor could do his job.

The women looked at each other before answering, as if they were deciding who was going to do the talking. Carol’s eyes were shining daringly but she caved when Therese didn’t attempt to conceal her concern. “I had a little accident, nothing serious. My leg got caught between her car and my motorcycle for a brief moment.”

He wrinkled his nose in empathy, as if he knew what she was going through. “You were driving, right?” The woman nodded. “So your thigh received all the impact.” This time he wasn’t questioning but he got another nod. “All right, I’m going to need you to lower your jeans to your knees to check you.”

Therese had been looking at them during the exchange, more precisely at Carol. She was finally having the chance to fully admire her and as her eyes swept over her face, taking her time to go over every feature. She could feel a wave of attraction washing her over. She thought it made more sense that she felt this way for Carol (after all, Therese wasn’t blind, the woman was gorgeous and her bad-girl look made her more alluring) than caring so much for her which was also the case because she might have been able to conceal it but an overwhelming worry took over her in the moment she realized Carol would suffer an accident. She had tried to convince herself, without any success, that she would have done what she did for anyone but deep down she was aware that beyond the people she knew, she would have called an ambulance and not personally brought them to the hospital.

Therese was fairly distracted in her thoughts that it took her a moment to react to Dr. Semco’s words, when she did, her eyes widened, looking at Carol reaching down to unbutton her jeans, causing her to turn her head to other side, feeling herself blushing. “I- I’m going to leave now.” She felt both pair of eyes on her but she still didn’t dare to look back, moving slowly towards the door. “I have to go back to work,” she offered to Carol as explanation, clearing her throat afterwards. “But you are in good hands. I wouldn’t be leaving otherwise.” The man chuckled but neither women paid attention.

“Therese.” The whisper got to the woman in question with such clarity as if she was listening through headphones that she stopped to turn her head slightly to look back at Carol. “Thank you so much for your help.” She beamed a smile at her that took Therese’s breath away.

“It was my pleasure, Carol.” She couldn’t help but to beam back, her cute dimples causing Carol to mentally sigh dreamily, taking one last look at the woman before getting out of the room, trying to not think much about the misery she began to feel once she closed the door behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an amazing beta. Thank you so much, Ligeria!

_**Tuesday** _

Abby wasn’t happy when Carol told her about the idea of staying in the town for probably a week. Dr. Semco advised her to do it ─ even if her injury wasn’t serious as she already knew, and he didn’t forbid her to ride her bike, he did suggest that it would be a good idea for her to rest, at least until her limp disappeared. She was glad to have that as an excuse because she wasn’t ready to share her real desire why she wanted to stay.

“As I told you yesterday, you and the girls are not forced to stay if you don’t want to, Abby.” She was glad to have her sunglasses on so her friend didn’t see her rolling her eyes. “You can leave and I will contact you when I’m ready to leave to find out where you are.”

“I’ll make sure to pass on your message to the others but you know I won’t leave you.” Sometimes it was hard to differentiate if she had a friend or a babysitter.

Sighing, not seeing any point in trying to convince Abby to do something different, Carol spun the barstool she was sitting on to look around the wooden restaurant-bar that wasn’t too crowded since it was barely midday. She and Abby were the only ones there from the group, some preferring other places to actually eat and others deciding to ride around the town to see what else they could find but they ended up there for the simple fact that her friend wanted a beer and it was the closest place to get one from the motel they were staying in.

“Can I ask you a question?” Abby seemed somewhat nervous, as if she didn’t want to do what she was about to do.

“Absolutely.” She moved the stool to face her.

There was an indecisive silence for a moment. “Is this decision affected by the girl from yesterday?”

Carol licked her lips, trying not to look too surprised. She knew Abby wasn’t an idiot and after spending most of their time together during the past years, it was easy for the other woman to read her. “You know the doctor-”

“I know, I know. But this is not the first time you have suffered a minor injury ─ you always get back on your bike right away. You're acting different and I’m curious to know if she’s the reason why.” She raised an eyebrow, looking slightly defiant.

“Would you have a problem if she was?” This time it was her turn to raise an eyebrow.

“No.” She laughed. “Carol, that’s one of our things, we find attractive women, in your case women and men ... we have a good time with them, we get them out of our systems and we move on. If this is one of those cases, go on and do your thing so we can move on.”

“Thanks for your blessing,” she said with sarcasm, diverting her gaze from her friend. It annoyed her that Abby was referring to Therese as if she was only a piece of meat. “But I told you, it’s the doctor’s recommendation and it’s been awhile since we stayed more than a day in a place. It would be good for us to rest. Look at the bright side – it seems to be a nice place.”

Carol felt Abby’s incredulous look on her, but her friend sighed, making her feel glad for her words even when she was sure she wouldn’t let go this easily. “Whatever you say, nitwit.”

 

* * *

 

When Therese arrived home, she felt a little surprised to find everything in silence until a soft giggle followed by a laugh coming from the living room filled her ears, revealing the location of the people she was expecting to find. She smiled, leaving her purse on the table next to the front door before making her way there. A part of her truly disliked that she couldn’t be with her sister since the moment she left school, handing her care to Genevieve for a few hours even if her friend didn’t have a problem at all since she adored the little girl, but it was necessary in order to be a responsible adult for her.

Two years ago, a lot of people thought it would be overwhelming for a 24 year old woman to take care of her 4 year old sister ─ she was focused on her career at the time and was slightly distant from her family. It had been the hardest decision of her life because she loved her family more than anything, to move to New York to finish her studies and even while her parents understood, they weren’t able to conceal the hurt in their eyes at the idea of ‘losing’ their daughter. At the beginning, she tried to visit them every weekend but as her studies became more strenuous, those visits turned into video calls every now and then. However, the day she got the fateful call she left everything on hold, not thinking twice about going back home.

Two pair of eyes focused on Therese the moment she appeared on the living room. She headed towards the little girl, who was sitting on the couch, and bent down to kiss her head. “Hey little monkey, were you well-behaved?”

“Always,” Genevieve answered for her. She looked at the image fondly. “She’s incapable of doing anything bad.”

“Obviously – she’s _my_ sister.” She looked at her, laughing softly at the beaming and proud smile on the girl’s face.

“Hey! I’m sure my influence has helped somehow.” She tilted her head upright in a complacent gesture.

Therese’s snorted jokingly. “Actually, thanks to you I have to try even harder to erase all the bad you could have done in my absence.” She laughed when her friend crossed her arms, pretending to be offended as she fought against a smile. Looking back at her sister, who was giggling, she took off her jacket, folding it slowly. “Did you eat already?”

“No … well, a little. Gen made me a fruit salad so I didn’t get hungry while I waited for you.” She shrugged when her sister narrowed her eyes. “You know I like to eat with you.” Therese didn’t even know why she tried to act as a scolding adult when it never worked. Her sister was well aware of her weakness for her.

“All right, let’s go to eat then.” She left her jacket on the back of the couch. “Are you staying?” She raised a questioning eyebrow as she looked at her friend.

“No, don’t worry.” She stood up, gathering her stuff. “There are some things from work that aren’t leaving me in peace so I want to get them over as soon as possible.” Therese understood the feeling so she nodded, escorting Genevieve to the door after she said goodbye to the little girl.

Once they were left alone, they went to the kitchen, eating comfortably as her sister, enthusiastically, shared her day with her. Therese would always be in awe that despite the loss they had suffered, the little girl was as cheerful as she was ─ she had her melancholy moments as anyone would expect it was clear that her sister’s presence made everything easier. Since the moment Rindy was born, Therese was pretty involved in the girl’s care to the point where it was common that people thought she was her own daughter and this situation made her feel more glad than ever for it because it made her realize that as long as they had each other, it would be easier to face anything life may throw their way.

After eating, they moved to the living room to watch one of the tv shows Rindy liked before Therese reminded her to do her homework, especially if she wanted to go to the sleepover of her best friend Ellie tomorrow. Therese almost refused to let her because it was the middle of the week, wondering why they couldn’t wait until Friday when the little girls’ vacations officially started, but when Ellie’s mother explained that they would go on vacations right after classes ended and they wouldn’t return until they were over, she agreed without a second thought. She knew her sister was going to be in good hands and Ellie’s mom assured her she would take them to school the next day.

Watching Rindy go for her backpack, Therese stood up, looking for the folder she brought home from work to inspect the blueprints to see if it they were okay to show them or if it was necessary to make some arrangements. Not seeing it anywhere, Therese frowned, guessing she left it in the car. She headed to the front door, opening it and was startled to find herself face to face with Carol, who looked ready to knock. “Jesus Christ! You scared the life out of me!” She placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart pounding violently.

“In my defense, you are supposed to let me knock on the door before opening it.” It was obvious in her tone that she was trying not to laugh, as if the smile wasn’t proof enough that she found the situation amusing.

Therese glared at the unexpected visitor before taking a deep breath, hoping to normalize her heartbeat but when she gazed at the other woman up and down, she gulped, her heart getting out of control once again though for a different reason. Carol was wearing light blue denim jeans ─ Therese was torn between the fact that clothes that tight couldn’t be comfortable at all and the fact that they were giving her a terrific view. If Carol dared to turn around, she was sure she would suffer an aneurysm ─ with a close-fitting white t-shirt dress that left her strong arms in sight, a closed cropped denim vest that barely reached under her breasts and knee black boots.

Carol didn’t say anything, not wanting to interrupt Therese’s appraisal. She was actually thrilled by it; she could feel the goosebumps appearing on every part of her body that the young woman’s eyes were caressing at the moment. However, Carol almost lost it when Therese licked her lips before trapping the lower one between her teeth for a brief moment before shaking her head. “You're still here.” There was a trace of wonder in her tone even if her face remained neutral.

“Dr. Semco’s recommendation.” Carol shrugged, sighing as if she was suffering with this terrible outcome. “Though the last call was on me.”

Therese nodded, a smile playing around the edges of her lips. She wondered if Carol knew that she wasn’t really good at appearing nonchalant. “And what are you doing at my house?”

It was surprising that Therese didn’t sound or appear defensive, as if the fact that Carol finding out where she lived was totally expected. “Two things. First, I wanted to give you this.” She moved the hand she had behind her back, revealing a single red rosebud.

Doing a double-take first to assure herself she wasn’t imagining things, Therese’s eyebrows rose as her eyes widened slightly. Carol had been brazen when she blurted out her attraction for her, and even with all the blushing, Therese didn’t think much of it ─ Carol was just visiting the town and she would be gone soon. There wasn’t any point in dwelling on it beyond feeling flattered that a woman as gorgeous as her found her attractive. But the fact that she was actually acting upon that attraction was throwing Therese off balance as the fast thumping of her heart and the fact that she was flustered were proving.

“I-” She opened and closed her mouth several times, failing to find the words.

With a coy smile, Carol stretched her hand towards the other woman so she could take the flower. “It’s silly but I-” She trailed off when she felt Therese’s fingers brushing hers as she took the flower.

She looked at the rosebud with a soft smile, caressing it with her index finger. “You really shouldn’t have but thank you, it’s-”

“Therese?”

Both women jumped a little at the shy voice. Carol was surprised when she saw the little girl appear behind the other woman, using her body to hide behind as she wrapped her arms around her waist, her head appearing from one side. Her hair, slightly lighter than Therese's, was in a small ponytail with bangs and she was looking at Carol with big and curious eyes. “Hey monkey, I’m sorry for making you wait.” She switched the flower to her other hand so she could reach back with her right arm to place her hand behind her sister’s head.

The girl shrugged, not interested in that when there was someone else drawing her attention. “Who are you?”

“Rindy! That’s not nice.” Therese frowned until Carol’s snort distract her though the woman seemed apologetic once her eyes fell on her.

Carol hadn’t meant to do that; she didn’t want to make them think that she was making fun of Therese's scolding but she couldn’t help but to find amusing the fact that such question had been the opening since she arrived to the town several times and for a fleeting moment, she wondered if this was the way the people here behaved towards strangers. “Sorry about that.” She cleared her throat. “I’m Carol, Therese’s friend.” She supposed it was okay to introduced herself like that, especially when the young woman introduced her as such with Richard.

Rindy looked surprised before smiling. “You are the lady my sister helped yesterday!”

The relief washing over Carol was so overwhelming that she actually felt dizzy for a moment. After seeing the little girl, she felt disappointed, not for the girl but because it brought forth an idea she hadn't considered until that moment: that Therese could be married. Even if Rindy didn’t refer to her as her mother there was the option that she could be the daughter of her husband ─ she really shouldn’t be making conjectures just because there wasn’t a ring and Therese didn’t seem to mind her flirting. Although, technically, Carol still didn’t count that as an answer but it was strangely relaxing anyway.

“Yes, that would be me,” she replied with a soft smile that widened when she looked at Therese, who sheepishly looked down at her sister when their eyes met briefly.

At that moment, Rindy realized that her sister was holding something. Her gaze went from it to Therese’s face to Carol’s, repeating the progress a couple of times. “You got her that?”

Carol nodded before pursing her lips. “Mmhmm, but if I had known there was another pretty girl in this house I would have brought another just for you.”

The little girl giggled happily, hiding her face against Therese’s body, who laughed as she disheveled her sister’s hair. “Go inside and start your homework, monkey – I’ll be there in a moment.”

“Okay!” She unwrapped her arms from the brunette. “It was nice meeting you, Carol.” The big smile was still on her lips as she waved with her hand.

Smiling cheerfully, she waved back. “Likewise, Rindy.” The women remained in silence until they were sure the girl wasn’t close. “So, that’s your sister.” Therese nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear. “My first thought was that she was your daughter because she’s identical to you but the fact that she called you by your name confused me. I didn’t even think about the other option.”

“It happens to us often. You won’t be the first or the last one to think Rindy is my daughter.” She smiled almost sadly, which aroused Carol’s curiosity but before she could dig in the subject, the woman kept talking. “Now, I don’t want you to think that your presence is bothering me but as you can see, I’m a little busy right now and-”

“I understand, I’ll be quick.” She used her thumb to brush back the hair that was falling over her forehead. “I wanted to know if you would let me to take you to dinner. I want to give you a proper thank you for what you did for me.” Therese’s eyebrows furrowed in apprehension as she parted her lips. “And before you say it, I know I don’t have to, but I _want_ to.”

Therese looked at the floor, her tongue darting over her lips anxiously before biting her lower lip. She was fighting against the desire to blurt out the ‘yes’ that was clogged in her throat because as she caught a glimpse of the rosebud she was holding, she felt this was a world-shaking gesture. Feeling attracted to Carol was one thing – she would be gone soon and she’d only be a pleasant memory for Therese of a breathtaking woman. But now that the prospect of spending more time with her was presented, she wasn’t completely sure if she should jump at the opportunity. It wasn’t for lack of wanting, the opposite in fact, the ‘what ifs’ gathering in her head ─ trying to deduce if this was worth it.

The fact of not knowing anything about Carol or from her lifestyle wasn’t the problem. It was Therese herself. Not even during her expected times did she behave recklessly, always thinking of every possible outcome instead of acting or beyond focused on her studies. She was aware of several missed opportunities ─ before moving, Genevieve often reproached her for it though that stopped when Rindy became Therese’s responsibility, understanding well her new role. But Therese wasn’t a reveller as her friend was. She never felt she wasted her teenage years for not partying like the rest had done.

Therese felt annoyed with herself; Carol was only inviting her to dinner and she was dissecting this as if it was a life-changing opportunity. What huge difference could it make to spend a few hours with someone who would be gone soon enough from her life? Perhaps she should follow people’s advice about stop mulling about every little thing and act, just for once. Therese supposed it was a good idea to try with someone that was a free spirit like Carol ─ not only because they could have a nice time together without turning it into something serious but also because the woman was awaking her desire to be careless.

During the pause, Carol started to chew on her lower lip with expectation, seeing the way Therese’s face changed as the seconds ticked. She could feel her heart stopping at first, when a rejection was clear in the other woman’s features but then she was lifting her head, a wide smile in her lips. “I would love to, Carol.” There was a brief silence where Carol couldn’t conceal her joy. “But only if I can find someone who can look after Rindy.”

She nodded. “Of course, absolutely. Would you let me know if it’s going to be possible?”

Without answering, Therese disappeared for a moment behind the door. When she reappeared, she was holding a notepad and a pen. “What’s your number?” Perhaps it would have been more practical to go and fetch her cell phone that was in the living room but she didn’t want to waste the seconds she could have in the other woman’s presence.

Taking a step towards Therese, Carol slowly raised a hand to take the objects she was holding, purposefully brushing her hand with her fingers. She smiled when she saw the soft blush in the young woman’s cheeks before writing her number. “Here.” She handed back the things to its owner. “Call me, please.”

She nodded before lowering her gaze to the notepad, giggling when she saw the smiley face with sunglasses that Carol drew. “I will, I promise. No matter what the outcome turns out to be.”

When the woman got closer to her, leaning her face to hers, Therese held her breath and the yelp that escaped her lips when Carol kissed her cheek was completely unavoidable. She closed her eyes, feeling the soft lips against her, the ones she wanted to chase once they pulled away. “I hope to see you soon, Therese.”

“Yeah, me too.” She opened her eyes slowly, sighing dreamingly. Carol was smiling brightly at her when they eyes locked, making Therese’s stomach flutter.

Not saying another word, Carol nodded at the young woman as a gesture of goodbye, turning around to make her way back to the motel where she agreed to meet with Abby to talk about the plan with the rest of the gals. Therese’s eyes widened and her heart thumped faster in that moment ─ she knew that Carol wearing those clothes was risky for her, the fact that her eyes were immediately drawn to her ass was proof enough. The jeans were completely sinful but she also felt the need to thank to whoever made them. Carol smiled smugly, feeling Therese’s eyes in her, coaxing her to move her hips teasingly.

“I hope you are enjoying the view, darling,” she said without stopping or turning to look back, the tone of her voice so sultry that it made Therese shiver in pleasure.

“Trust me, I am,” she said, unable to stop herself since it felt like her brain disconnected for a moment. The warm sensation of heat growing in her face was the only thing that made her aware of her words but Carol’s laugh filled her ears, making her feel giddy instead of self-conscious.

Watching the sight until the woman was a couple of houses away, Therese lowered her gaze towards the rosebud she was still holding. This was completely crazy, it wasn’t something she usually did, but she couldn’t deny to herself that she was really interested in exploring what could happen ─ to know Carol and why she appeared to be so drawn to her, because for the young woman _that_ was intriguing. It was hard not to compare their lives in this situation and Therese wrinkled her nose in distaste when it came to her dull life ─ she couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that it could be appealing for someone like Carol to the point of wanting to know her better. In Therese’s case, it made sense, she supposed; everyone felt attracted to the bad girl, but she couldn’t understand why Carol would feel the same for someone like her, but she was sure it would be interesting to find out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an amazing beta. Thank you so much, Ligeria!

“Please, tell me you somehow went insane in the last few hours. Did you hit your head or something?”

Therese rolled her eyes, thinking that she should have turned around before doing it so Genevieve could actually see the gesture. After helping Rindy with her homework and spending time with her doing nothing, she called her friend to ask her if she could watch her sister for a couple of hours at most ─ Genevieve agreed, telling her that she would be at their house at 7:30pm. Therese had been surprised when she wasn’t questioned further but she should have known that would change once her friend arrived because the moment Therese opened the door, she was interrogated as if she was the primordial suspect of a crime.

Trying to not reveal much, Therese answered with the basics, telling Genevieve that she was going to have dinner with a friend, which was counterattacked with a _“I know all your friends and we are not the ones going with you since I’m going to babysit and Dannie’s working.”_  The silence that followed was filled with tension until Therese caved at the uncomfortableness, confessing the truth and she hadn’t stopped hearing the end of it. Looking at the clock, she sighed ─ her friend had been ranting for more than ten minutes now, not giving her a chance to explain herself because everytime she tried to talk, the other woman raised her voice without yelling to drown hers.

“Gen, that’s enough.” She didn’t want to raise her voice because Rindy was still awake, getting ready for bed. “I’m not a child and you are not my mother so stop acting like it.”

The woman squirmed on Therese’s bed, feeling a little ashamed. “I just worry for you.”

Sighing, she stopped rummaging on her drawers looking for what to wear to look at her friend. “I know you do, but there’s no reason.”

“But you don’t even know her,” she whined softly, a little desperate, knowing by now that no matter what, she wouldn’t change her friend’s mind; she had never been able to. Therese could look innocent and manageable but she was far from it.

“It’s just an innocent dinner, Gen, I’m not running away with her. And this is how you get to know people, isn’t it?” She smiled mockingly. “That’s what you were always saying to me.” She cleared her throat to imitate her friend’s voice. “You need to go out with people to actually get to know them, Therese.”

Genevieve rolled her eyes. “I hate when you throw my own words at me.” Chuckling, Therese went back to the task of looking what to wear. “Are you sure about this?” she asked, resigned.

“I’m not,” she replied sincerely. “But for the first time I want to do it. I don’t want to think, I just want to go and do it.” She was lowering her voice as she kept talking. “If it turns out to be a mistake, it’s mine to make.”

For a moment, only the noise of Therese moving clothes could be heard until a growl broke the softness. “Fuck, you like her. You actually fancy her!”

Therese suddenly turned around, laughing awkwardly. “Come on, that’s stupid.” But she knew it was pointless because she could feel herself blushing.

“You are dressing for her!” She extended her arms in her direction, signaling the obvious. “You never take so long to dress, not even when you were going out with someone.”

“I- that’s-” Genevieve was looking at her amused, raising her eyebrows as if she was daring her to come up with something clever to deny her words. “Oh, shut up.”

Snorting, Genevieve stood up, making her way to Therese, placing her hands on her shoulders. She waited until her friend glanced at her to talk. “If she’s looking for you it’s because you already have her interest, which is not really surprising when you look like this.” She gestured up and down with a hand, smiling softly.

“Thank you.” Therese squeezed her friend’s hand that was still on her shoulder, feeling a little more relaxed. It was true that she was nervous, as if she was going out on her first date with the most popular girl in school, a foolish thing because this wasn’t a date in the first place.

“Tee?” Rindy stood at the door frame, rubbing her eyes, trying to hold back a yawn. “I’m ready.”

Therese let go of the blouse she was holding, letting it fall on top of the dresser. “All right, sweetie, let me take you to bed.” She picked her up, feeling a little clingy due to the fact that tomorrow she wouldn’t be with her. When her sister rested her head on her shoulder, she turned around to look at her friend for a brief moment and she deduced she must have looked slightly anxious because Genevieve nodded at her.

“If you trust my fashion advice, I’m going to help you choose something.” She was sure Therese would have squealed if it wasn’t for Rindy, but she could see her face shining in gratitude at her suggestion. She lightheartedly smiled back, a smile that quickly disappeared once her friend left the room, making her sigh.

 

* * *

 

Carol was smoking, her eyes lingering upwards at the sky, waiting for Therese’s arrival. She was outside the place chosen by the young woman, leaning against the wall, a leg bent so she could place her foot on it too. When Therese texted her that she was going to be able to go to dinner, Carol ─ who had been with the girls at the moment she got the message and had to conceal her excitement, even having to hold back a smile ─ asked her to pick out the place. She wanted Therese to feel comfortable with her and the first step in accomplishing that was to be in the right place.

Abby’s earlier words came to her mind, making her wonder why she was acting so different this time. This wasn’t her usual modus operandi (it was truly annoying that her friend was actually right) when she met a person she wanted. The fact that she never spent much time in a place made her be brutally honest about it; to go for what she wanted without thinking of anything else; after all, it was only one night. At the beginning, she was doubtful of Abby’s suggestion to go and simply ‘ask for it’ as if she was asking for the hour but it was surprisingly easy. It was as if motorcyclists were rock stars because everyone was eager at the chance to have sex with her. _“It helps that you are sex on legs too,”_ Abby had told her, not trying to hide her amusement at Carol’s amazement after the first time she actually dared to do it and the girl accepted.

She wanted Therese, that was beyond obvious ─ whenever she was in the young woman’s presence, her body naturally reacted to her; the warmth enveloping her entirely just by the simple fact of being with her, the soft and pleasant electric shocks she felt whenever she had the chance to touch her as her mind filled with thoughts of all the not-so-innocent things she would like to do with her. But deep down there was more, Carol could feel it though she wasn’t able to put her finger on what it was. Wanting to spend time with her, to get to know her, was new, a sensation she hadn’t had in so long. For months, her interactions with others, beyond her group, were out of habit more than for sincere interest.

It made sense that Abby had been looking at her with suspicion all damn day, even when Carol was doing her best at pretending nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Although disappearing from her best friend and the rest of the girls when they were having a farewell-until-next-week gathering because they had decided to go back on the road the next day after Carol told them she and Abby would stay, perhaps wasn’t the smartest move, even when they were used to her disappearances whenever she focused her interest on someone. She dreaded the moment but she was aware that the next time she saw Abby, there was going to be a lot of explaining to do. Or in the least, she would need to have a credible lie in her repertoire. But right now she wasn’t in the mood to keep thinking when she couldn’t even comprehend exactly what was going on.

High-heeled steps brought her back to the present. “Hey.” Able to recognize that voice anywhere, Carol smiled, tearing her gaze away from the sky, turning to look at the newcomer. “Sorry for keeping you waiting.”

“Don’t be, I came early, you- wow.” Carol’s eyes widened in pleasant surprise at the sight.

The two previous times she had seen Therese, she was wearing work clothes and even when they still managed to make her look very fine, it was something completely different to see her in casual clothes that didn’t help at all to calm her growing desire for her. _An outfit consisting of a boat neck loose grey sweater, a black mini skirt with leggings of the same color and grey winter boots with buckles on the side, shouldn’t be this alluring_ , Carol thought, her eyes scrutinizing her up and down. It didn’t help a bit that Therese was wearing her hair down (this was also added to the list of differences) because Carol couldn’t stop thinking about running her fingers through her hair as she leaned down to kiss her.

“Carol? Are you still with me?” The aforementioned woman finally managed to look at Therese’s face, seeing the soft way it was tinted in red but she was also grinning.

“You look amazing,” she blurted out before she had the chance to think of something more unique to say.

Giggling softly, Therese stepped closer to Carol, tucking her hair behind her ear in shyness. “Thank you. You look amazing too.” She was still wearing the outfit of the afternoon, and the young woman was thankful for it. She was sure that Carol had a killer wardrobe so she appreciated the chance to recover before the next one.

“Yeah, I could tell by your appraisal this afternoon,” she teased, pursing her lips to not laugh when Therese’s face reddened more.

“Well, when someone puts a masterpiece in front of an audience, you don’t see them closing their eyes, do you?” One of the things Carol found so fascinating about this woman was that even when she was affected by something, she never held back. The mix of bashfulness with bravery was as endearing as alluring.

Before Carol had the chance to reply, Therese raised a hand to brush her arm. It was meant to be a gesture to coax her to move so they could get inside the restaurant but it felt more like a caress when her fingertips went from the elbow, touching their way down the skin as she passed next to the other woman. Carol followed the motion with her eyes, Therese’s hand now reaching hers but when her fingers were about to break the contact, Carol flexed her index finger to catch Therese’s in her hold. That’s how they ended up stepping inside the restaurant and the young woman only released Carol when an elderly couple waved at her to call her attention but before going to them, she turned to the other woman, smiling apologetically.

“Can you get us a table? This shouldn’t take long.”

After nodding, she watched her go before reacting, looking around, feeling surprised when she finally realized they were in a 50’s diner. Carol knew it was unfair to judge by appearances, she was a book judged by the cover after all, but she had done the same with Therese without been completely aware of it until now. Just because she wore fancy clothes and lived in a very luxury house didn’t mean that she was a snobby woman ─ in fact, she knew she wasn’t, otherwise Therese wouldn’t be interested in her but she made the supposition that she liked the swanky. As Carol sat in one of the purple and white booths, she felt glad of telling Therese to choose the place because most likely she would have picked the wrong one.

Carol didn’t take her time to inspect the place as she always did when it was unknown to her, her eyes searching for Therese. She was gesticulating with her hands, a gentle smile curving her lips involved in what it seemed to be a cordial conversation. After what had happened the previous day, it was no longer surprising to know the young woman was well-liked, especially since Carol was living the proof of falling under the spell too. Carol was only aware that she had rested her head on her hand, adopting a more comfortable position to keep staring, when Therese suddenly turned to look at her, causing her to straighten up as if she was caught doing something she shouldn’t.

Therese’s smile widened a bit before pointing in her direction, and Carol wasn’t sure what to do with now three pair of eyes looking at her beyond nodding in recognition as her heartbeat raced. Therese didn’t take long to make her way towards their table after that ─ she was opening her mouth, most likely to apologize, when she was at a few steps of distance but Carol didn’t give her a chance to say something first, especially because she didn’t want to hear an apology when there wasn’t a reason for it.

“Hey, you must be Therese.” She smiled with exaggerated brightness, making the young woman freeze, looking completely puzzled. “When my friends arranged this, they didn’t tell me you were a knockout.” Carol stood up as the other woman gave the last steps in a hesitating way, extending her hand for a handshake. “I’m Carol, Carol Aird.”

Therese reacted out of instinct, shaking the other’s woman hand, the confusion still visible on her face until something clicked after watching Carol’s playful smile, sparking a soft snort. “Therese Belivet, a pleasure to meet you.”

Carol smiled, delighted with the play along but when they were sitting, one in front of the other, she frowned slightly. “Belivet? Why does it sounds familiar?”

It was Therese’s turn to smile playfully but she didn’t answer. Carol thought it was due to the waiter coming over to hand them the menu but she remained silent even after he left, spurring up her curiosity even more. However, Carol didn’t question her, her eyes scanning the menu while she forced her mind to remember why she felt she knew that name from before. Therese was doing the same, or at least pretending because she knew the menu like the back of her hand ─ without lifting her head, her gaze went to Carol, surprised that she wasn’t questioning her the moment they were left alone.

Biting her lower lip in an attempt to not smile at the sight of Carol’s face furrowed in concentration, Therese decided to pull her out of her conundrum, otherwise she wouldn’t concentrate at all on the words that were in front of her, not contemplating that telling the truth would distract her even more so. “I’m sure you saw it when you arrived in town.”

Tilting her head in ponderation, the woman look at Therese, who had raised her head to address her. Carol narrowed her eyes, her mind working to relive that moment until her eyes widened. “You are related to Viktor Belivet?” A sheepish nod was the answer she got. “Are you telling me that you are kind of the owner of this town?!” she whispered intently.

Therese wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Just because my ancestors founded this town, doesn’t make me the _owner_.”

Carol was opening her mouth when they were interrupted by the waiter one more time to take their order. Therese asked for her usual, a club sandwich and a lemonade, while Carol asked for a burger with french fries and a soda. Both women followed him with their eyes, making sure he was far enough away before looking at each other. Therese was slightly tense but she wouldn’t have brought up the subject if she carried some sort of reservations towards the other woman. She wasn’t sure if the fact that Carol’s stay wouldn’t be long was what made her feel the desire to share everything with her, as much as wanting to know all about the other woman’s life.

“You are right, but your parents must have to-” she cut herself off when Therese looked away, squirming in her chair. Carol could see the same halo of sadness that she briefly saw this afternoon.

“Umm, my parents died in a car accident, it’s only Rindy and I.” She turned her face to the blonde but without making eye contact. “It’s true that every generation has always been involved one way or another in the town’s care and improvement but we don’t carry all the responsibility of it.”

Carol wasn’t even paying much attention to what the young woman was saying after the first part of her revelation, uneasiness washing her over. “Therese, I’m so sorry, I-” She tried to ignore the pang of disappointment she felt as she extended her hand that was resting on the table with all the intention to place it over the other woman’s but she moved it, though it was only in order to lift it to interrupt her.

“It’s okay, you didn’t know.” She smiled sincerely to reassure her but the trace of hurt was unmistakable in her features, making Carol wonder if it had been recent but she didn’t dare to ask, not wanting to upset her even more but she was surprised by what Therese said next. “You can ask.”

The silence that followed felt suffocating even when they were surrounded by a noisy background. In all honesty, Therese astonished even herself with her comment. It wasn’t as if her parent’s death was a forbidden subject in her life; at first, she even forced herself into those conversations to get used to her new reality, to find her way within the pain until she felt it was necessary to pause her grief in order to take care of Rindy properly. Her sister became the priority in her life, even over her own necessities. Talking about it with other people wasn’t as helpful as she had expected ─ getting looks or words that she wrongly took as patronizing caused her to shut herself when it came to that subject.

But perhaps talking about it on a first date ─ _not that this was a date_ , Therese reminded herself as she had been doing several times during the day ─ wasn’t appropriate. She was about to say something to change the subject when Carol cleared her throat, her voice barely higher than a whisper. “Was it recent?”

Therese shook her head as she spoke, her fingers drumming against the table just to do something. “Two years ago.”

Eyes widening slightly, Carol’s lips curled up in a melancholic smile. “What a peculiar coincidence.” Therese didn’t say anything but she raised a curious eyebrow. “I lost my mother two years ago.”

This time, when the waiter arrived with their food, the interruption was welcomed though not exactly because they were feeling uncomfortable but because it felt like a breath of fresh air in a tainted environment. As Therese looked down at her food, she smiled imperceptibly. It wouldn’t be fair to compare their pain but at least she was with someone who had an idea of how it felt, someone who had some sort of comprehension about the situation. “I’m sorry for your loss,” Therese said once they were left alone.

“Thank you, but don’t be.” Carol took a french fry, looking at it before nibbling the tip. “I didn’t have the greatest relationship with her.” She didn’t know whether to laugh or feel bad at the almost horrified expression on Therese’s face. “Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t feel glad when it happened but-” she sighed, looking down for a moment because this would be the first time she admitted this out loud, not even Abby knew it, “it made the grief more easy to bear and faster to overcome.”

“Oh, I see.” It felt awkward not to say anything else but Therese really couldn’t find anything but questions in her mind.

“You can ask, you know,” she assured her in a playful tone, chuckling when the other woman looked embarrassed at being discovered. “I don’t intend to hide anything from you, Therese, so if you are curious about something, just ask.”

She nodded with a soft smile but she didn’t say anything at first, allowing them a moment to eat their food. “Why didn’t you have a good relationship with her?”

Before answering, Carol licked her lips and brushed a napkin against them, making Therese forget for a moment what she had just asked. “She liked to control my life and since she was my mother, I allowed her to do it ─ I never was brave enough to face her and put a stop to it.” Everything in her was screaming regret. “I ended up getting married only because of her, can you believe that?” She let out a humourless laugh.

Therese coughed in surprise, trying to convince herself that it wasn’t disappointment what she was feeling. “You are … married?”

Shaking her head, Carol grinned knowingly, her eyes wrinkling around the corners at the unconcealed delight due to Therese’s reaction. “Divorced.”

“Let me guess, I don’t have to be sorry about that either?” She smiled, already knowing the answer and her dimples deepened when Carol laughed. “So, after your mother died you turned your life upside down, becoming a free spirit since you never were.” Lowering her head a little to keep eating, her eyes never darted away from the woman in front of her.

“Something like that. Better late than never to take the reins of my own life, don’t you think?” Therese made an affirmative gesture that made her smile at the energeticness. “The opposite happened to you, didn't it?” she asked softly, unsure about still talking about this even when permission had been granted.

Chewing slowly, as if she was buying herself more time when in reality she was contemplating the situation, Therese sighed deeply after gulping her food. “I suppose. I mean, I never was someone people would consider a free spirit. I was intensely dedicated to my studies and then my career to have a life beyond that. For years, my friend Gen, the one you saw me with, _kindly_ ,” the sarcasm was unmistakable in the word, “reminded me of that.” She took a sip of her lemonade. “In that aspect nothing changed, but yeah I have so many more responsibilities that I didn’t expect to have at this time of my life since now I’m some sort of a mother figure for Rindy.” She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “And I admit that’s overwhelming sometimes, even when my sister is everything to me,” she added, so quietly that Carol almost didn’t hear her.

This time when Carol moved her arm to place her hand over the other woman’s, Therese didn’t move it, her smile becoming more real at the warm touch. “When I asked you to dinner, I didn’t expect us to have such serious conversation as our opening.”

Huffing a laugh, Therese felt grateful that Carol was giving her the opportunity to divert the subject so she could have a break. “You should feel lucky though, because I’m rarely this honest with my friends.” She was trying to hide the truth with a jokingly tone, but the other woman looked at her with an intensity that made her feel like she was seeing right through her.

“I do feel lucky, Therese. Thank you for trusting me.” She patted her hand after Therese blushed and nodded. She then reluctantly took her hand away from the other so they could keep eating.

 

* * *

 

Carol was walking next to Therese, on the side of the road, so close that their arms were brushing with every step, the chilly weather working as a good reason for it. When they were saying their goodbyes, Carol realized that just like her, the young woman had walked her way to the diner and she simply refused to let her walk her way back alone, no matter how secure the town appeared to be. For a moment, Therese looked like she was about to deny Carol’s suggestion, a frown overtaking her features and her lips pursed in contemplation, though after a few seconds she ended up shrugging, agreeing with a slight smile.

Walking mostly in a comfortable silence ─ a comfort that grew after their serious conversation once they began to talk about more shallow situations where Carol managed to make Therese cry of laughter with some of her escapades ─ Carol dipped her hand inside her jeans’ pocket to keep herself from draping her arm against Therese’s shoulders but when she saw her trying to hide a chill, she couldn’t keep ignoring the tickling need of getting closer and perhaps she should take advantage of the presented opportunity.

“Are you cold?” She looked at Therese, who smiled sheepishly.

“A little, aren't you?” Carol wasn’t wearing a jacket either.

“I like the cold,” she said, knowing that it wasn’t a real answer. “Unfortunately, I can’t be chivalrous and give you my jacket since I don’t have one. But I think there’s another option,” she hastened to add before Therese had a chance to interrupt her to say it wasn’t necessary.

When Carol stopped walking, the young woman followed suit, curious about what this was about, feeling completely puzzled when she stepped behind her. Therese was ready to turn around to face her when she felt Carol’s arms sliding under hers to wrap them around her middle as Carol’s front made contact with her back. Therese tensed at the brazenness ─ her common sense told her that she should break away from it since it was practically coming from a stranger, no matter how much she had gotten to know her in the last few hours but her traitorous body didn’t seem to agree since it was now relaxing at the warmness surrounding her and her arms were moving so she could place her hands over Carol’s.

They remained immobile, worried that perhaps the tiniest sound or move would make the moment disappear but then Carol laughed softly, close to Therese’s ear, causing her to close her eyes at the consequential shiver. “This is so far from being a complaint but if you don’t start walking we are never going to get to your house.”

Snorting, Therese nodded, waiting for Carol to release her but when that didn’t happen, she felt surprised at the fact that she was expecting to walk the rest of the way like this. _It’s ridiculous and childish_ , Therese thought, as both women giggled when they stumbled against each other in the first steps, though they quickly found a synchronized rhythm during which Carol rested her chin on top of Therese’s head, who concluded that this should be the first she ever felt so glad for being so tiny. Fortunately or not, it wasn’t a long way to Therese’s house from where they were, the contact coming to an end once they climbed the steps of the front entry.

“So,” Therese started, turning around to look at Carol. “This is what you do to seduce someone?”

Carol raised an eyebrow, an amused laugh escaping her lips. “Is that what I’m doing?”

Shrugging, trying to appear nonchalant, Therese quirked an eyebrow. “After some of the stories you told me, yeah, I think so.” There wasn’t a trace of irritation in her – she only wanted to make sure where she stood.

Wetting her lips with her tongue, Carol brushed her hair back. “You are not an idiot, so I’m not going to deny what you already know: that I very much want to have sex with you.” Therese didn’t look surprised but her face was adorned with an adorable blush and her body filled with goosebumps. “But it’s not only that … I want to spend time with you and get to know you, as long as you allow me to do it.” The woman in front of her nibbled her lower lip, looking away briefly. She seemed unsure and Carol thought she had an idea why. “No.” She waited until Therese looked back at her to keep talking. “This is not what I do when I only want to sleep with someone. There’s a huge difference between seducing and wooing. I’m very rusty in the latter.”

She didn’t want to laugh but with the way Carol adorably scrunched up her nose as if she had revealed something terrible after talking, it was impossible not to. “Wooing … I see.” For a moment she wondered if there was a point in going through that door, but once again her desire overruled logic as she stepped closer to Carol. “And what do you want to do about that?” She hoped that the way of being looked at in wonder was affecting her wasn’t too obvious.

Carol raised a hand, her fingertips barely touching Therese’s skin as she pushed back a lock of hair. “I would like to take you on a date. Would you let me?”

Therese wondered how it was possible that an almost nonexistent caress was making her feel so much more than some of the moments she experienced in her attempts to be intimate with someone. It was really a wonder that she had been able to walk when Carol was hugging her. “Tomorrow.” She cleared her throat, grey eyes locking with hers after been wandering over her face. “I’m free tomorrow after work.”

Carol blinked, not reacting for a second before a broad shining smile appeared on her lips. “Then I will see you tomorrow.”

Therese’s gaze dipped to Carol’s lips, enthralled with that smile, while she nodded, placing one hand on the woman’s cheek, raising on her tiptoes to kiss the other lingeringly. “I had a great time, Carol.”

“Just wait until tomorrow.” She winked, causing Therese to chuckle. “Goodnight, darling.”

“Goodnight, Carol.” Smiling fondly, she took a step back, allowing Carol to walk away.

The house was silent when Therese got inside ─ she was hoping to hear the faint sound of the television on as Genevieve’s distraction but nothing could be heard. She discovered the reason once she walked into the living room since her friend was fast asleep on the couch, half-covered with a blanket that was about to fall. Therese didn’t even contemplate waking her up, not wanting to interrupt her sleep, placing the blanket back over her body, making sure she was well covered. Genevieve mumbled something unintelligible as Therese was raising her head to look at the clock placed upon the chimney, making her snicker but in the next moment it morphed into surprise when she saw it was close to midnight.

After giving one look at Rindy, who was sleeping peacefully, hugging her stuffed sloth that was hugging her back with its long arms wrapped around her neck ─ their father had added velcro tape in its hands to make that possible ─ Therese went to her bedroom, her eyes drawn to the flower vase that she had placed that afternoon on her nightstand, Carol’s rosebud inside. She moved in that direction, her fingers finely caressing the petals as a smile appeared on her lips at the realization that the flower was starting to blossom.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an amazing beta. Thank you so much, Ligeria!

_**Wednesday** _

Therese startled when Mr. Cantrell raised his voice, calling her name to get her attention. Again. They were in his office, standing in front of the antique executive desk that used to belong to her father with Therese’s blueprints sprayed on it so she could show him the final result of her work. She was aware of being terrible distracted today ─ every time she promised it would be the last time, trying to focus on her job. But every time she ended up falling back into the same state of daydreaming. It was starting to become annoying because she was no longer a teenager and shouldn't be acting in this way. In her estimation, it wasn’t a valid excuse to be so eager that she was counting the seconds to get out from work. She had responsibility and just because she had a date with a gorgeous woman wasn’t a good reason to be distracted.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying?” She smiled apologetically. At least this wasn’t a normal thing; she would be a terrible project manager otherwise.

“Are you okay? You seem awfully distracted today.” He looked worried and Therese inwardly cursed. After her parents’ death, he took on the role of father figure, caring for her and Rindy even more than he used to. Sometimes it was overwhelming. “I’m not making you work too hard on this, right?”

“No, of course not. I wouldn’t have accepted this if I wasn’t ready.” But she remembered that when Mr. Cantrell had offered her the opportunity to redesign the Town Hall, her friends spent several days reassuring her that she had the skills to do it, that she had graduated as an architect for a reason. “It’s just that- uhm-” _You better come up with something believable so they stop worrying about you._ Therese tapped the desk with the pencil she was holding, adding effect to her pretended indecision as an idea came to her mind. “Today Rindy is staying with her friend. I guess I’m a little nervous about that ─ about how she’s going to feel since this is the first time she’s going to spend the night away from home.”

Therese sighed in relief when the man chuckled, pointing at the chairs behind them so they could sit, his blue eyes softening, before reassuring her that everything would be okay, clearly believing her words and wanting to calm her down. It made her feel guilty for using her sister as her excuse, though she was a little worried but in her opinion it was a natural reaction, not because she had suddenly developed trust issues. She pretended to be engrossed in the words that were floating between them, listening but not paying attention even when he was telling her about the first time Genevieve stayed with a friend.

The woman nodded after Mr. Cantrell reassured her once more that Rindy would be okay, most likely having the time of her life. “You can always join us. Genny is coming for dinner today.”

“Yes, she told me and invited me.” She smiled. That morning, after trying in vain to gossip about Therese’s non-date, only receiving a shrug and a “ _it was okay, everything that involves free food can’t be considered bad”_ as a reply, Genevieve invited her to her parent’s house for dinner. It bothered her to hide the truth from her friend, but at the same time she wasn’t ready to face the things her friend would say to her. During the night she had reached the decision to not think, only wanting to enjoy life for once. “I appreciate the invitation but as I told Gen, I think I’m going to take the advantage of being alone to relax and do nothing.”

She laughed when he laughed, his laugh always contagious. “I can understand that – little kids are a blessing but a break is fair and necessary from time to time.” He got serious for a moment. “Don’t ever tell my wife or my daughter I said that.”

Therese couldn’t stop the sudden sound that came out of her nose, making her cover her mouth and nose with her hand in embarrassment, feeling like a child. Mr. Cantrell was looking at her with amusement, lifting an eyebrow before he took pity on her, placing his hand on her shoulder and squeezing softly before standing up, making her follow the action so they could focus back on work. This time Therese was able to concentrate, reminding herself that the faster they finished with this, the faster she would be able to go home.

 

* * *

 

Carol spent all day away from Patřít, only making her way back when she got Therese’s message telling her she would be ready in half an hour. She was prompted to spend half of the day away by two good reasons; one, she wanted to know a little more about the surroundings to know where she could take Therese. Last night, Carol gave her all the control to earn her trust, to let her know that she could be comfortable (in a more hopeful aspect, even safe) with her, now that she had it, she was eager to impress her ─ not by faking something she wasn’t, which is why she decided to go for a ride: to be able to give her a mini road trip.

The other reason was simply to avoid Abby. The countless texts and voice messages her cell phone received yesterday after turning it on that went from curiosity to worry to anger, made clear that Carol hadn’t done a good job in trying to deceive her friend. Before falling into bed, she considered going to Abby’s room to apologize and explain herself, to actually confess she was smitten with the young woman. But she stopped herself, pondering if it was the right call, when she was reaching for the doorknob. Abby only believed that if something beyond sex ever happened to someone of their group, it was only meant to between the own members of it and not outsiders ─ she had already downplayed what Therese could mean for Carol for the simple fact that for her, it wasn’t a possibility.

That was all she needed to recall to change her mind, only sending Abby a message to let her know she was okay, deciding to keep avoiding her, at least until after her date with Therese. She didn’t want anything or anyone tainting the moment. In order to achieve that, Carol awakened before dawn, getting ready for the day to climb on her motorcycle and drive for hours, only stopping whenever a place drew her attention to scrutinize it before reaching the conclusion if it fit her standards or not. When her cell phone beeped with Therese’s message, she was feeling satisfied after having a couple of options where they would spend their time together.

Reaching Therese’s house, Carol took off the open helmet, shaking her head as if she was the model of a shampoo commercial to then run her fingers between the strands in an attempt to comb it. In an elegant movement, she dismounted the bike, hooking the helmet in the hand grip before making her way to the entrance, her heart quickening with every step, making her feel internally giddy. _I’m almost forty and behaving like a teenager on their first date_ , she thought as she pressed the button to make the doorbell ring.

Therese looked through the peephole before opening the door, even when she knew who was in the other side, a whining sound escaping her mouth when she saw Carol’s attire. Resting her forehead against the door, she closed her eyes. _This woman is going to kill me._ Giving one last look to the entire black outfit of leather pants and luxurious standup collar jacket of the same material that was currently opened, showing a plain tight t-shirt underneath, Therese took a deep breath, slowly turning the doorknob to open the door. Her stomach fluttered the moment Carol looked at her, the grey eyes twinkling with uncontained affection as she beamed a smile at her.

“Hey, you.”

“Hey.”

For a moment, neither of them moved, unsure of which was the proper way to greet each other until Carol rolled her eyes, leaning down to kiss Therese’s cheek. “Are you ready to go?”

Nodding, Therese turned around to lock the door, smirking when she heard Carol’s steps signaling that she was going down the stairs. She wanted her purposefully ahead of her to appreciate the other side of the outfit. It took her a moment to get in motion once her eyes fell on Carol’s because she was hit by a strong pang of desire because this time, whenever she moved, it gave the impression that the clothes were actually poured on Carol’s body because they fit perfectly. Therese woke from her stupor at the realization that the other woman was slowing down, most likely to turn around so she hurried towards her.

Therese was smiling contentedly until her gaze darted in front of her, causing her to halt unexpectedly. “No, forget it, I’m not going to hop on your motorcycle, Carol.” She should have known because the woman was even wearing the same boots of the day they met. Her riding boots, Therese deduced.

“Why not?” She pouted and Therese had to bite her cheek to avoid smiling because it wasn’t fair that she looked so adorable.

“Did you forget how we met?” She raised an incredulous eyebrow, making Carol laugh.

“That was practically your fault.” Therese’s surprised offense overtook every part of her face. “I mean, you can’t entire blame me, I suddenly felt a pull I couldn’t ignore.” She rubbed the back of her neck. “I know it’s not excusable but I can assure you that I’m a good rider, Therese,” she pointed out, earnestly.

“Now I understand why you asked me to wear non fancy, comfortable and warm clothes.” Since she didn’t have an idea where Carol was going to take her, she decided to ask because she didn’t want to be too over or underdressed, ending up with a blue cold shoulder turtleneck top, bell bottom dark gray jeans and blue sneakers. She was also holding a long black trench coat in her hands just in case ─ not because she didn’t want to repeat what happened yesterday, only because she didn’t want to look so desperate for it.

“Come on, Therese. You can’t expect me to stay with arms crossed after your revelation of never having ridden a bike before.” She sounded close to begging. “I would sacrifice my motorcycle before letting anything happen to you,” she whispered, her eyes softening with sincerity.

Raising a curious eyebrow, Therese smiled. “I’m not sure if that’s supposed to be reassuring or not.” But she finally kept walking, reaching the bike.

It was a red touring motorcycle and even when Therese didn’t know anything about bikes, she would be willing to bet that this was the fanciest version of the brand because it was huge and it appeared to have all the biker’s requirements of comfort for long rides. _No wonder Carol’s so toned – supporting the weight of this thing must be quite an achievement,_ she mused, sliding a hand over the seat, her eyes sweeping over the vehicle in appreciation. Carol was observing her with a soft smile, recalling her own mesmerization the first time she had seen the motorcycle ─ it was an inexplicable sensation that so many would catalogue as senseless because how could you feel _something_ for a material thing. In Carol’s case, she supposed that the fact that it represented her key to freedom had a lot to do with it.

“Is this a yes?” she whispered, placing her hand on the small of Therese’s back.

The answer Carol got came in the form of Therese handing her her coat, stirring a smile in the woman as she took it, walking to the back of the bike to open the trunk, placing the now folded garment and exchanging places with the other open helmet that was there. After helping Therese to fasten the helmet appropriately, Carol got on the bike, putting hers to then holding a hand out for the young woman to take. Once she did, she guided their hands to her shoulder to place Therese’s on it so she could use her as support as she climbed. Carol didn’t turn, using the mirrors to look backwards, waiting patiently as she saw and felt Therese moving with finesse until she settled. Due to the spacious seat, it wasn’t necessary that their bodies were pressed against each other nor clinging to the person in front once they took off ─ it was then that Carol found, for the first time, something she didn’t like about her motorcycle.

 

* * *

 

Therese hadn’t stopped looking around during the journey, as a child in a toy store, admiring the scenery. Even when at first she was acquainted with it, she had never truly seen the surroundings ─ as a child, she’d never cared for it and as a grown up, since she was the one doing the driving, she needed to focus on the important instead of letting her gaze wander with the beauty. It was also a completely different and quite enjoyable experience to be so in contact with nature during the trip, to feel the wind and the sunlight embracing every part of her.

Their first stop happened after they were driving approximately for an hour and even though Therese was loving the experience of riding a motorcycle, she was glad for the opportunity to stretch her muscles. But once she got off the bike, looking around, she frowned because they were in an open field. There were vehicles around but not people nor some establishment. “Where are we?”

Carol was putting the helmets in the truck but she looked at Therese briefly. “Where we are going to eat.” She smiled at her perplexed expression. “You will find out soon.”

Taking Therese’s hand once she finished, Carol felt slightly surprised when the woman intertwined their fingers naturally, as if they had been doing this all their lives. Carol guided them with aplomb through the oversized grass, Therese’s confusion growing with every step until she felt a light vibration under her feet, realizing that they had reached a grassless patch where there was a double wooden trapdoor in the floor that you were only able to find if you knew where you were looking for, its location very well hidden between the grass. Carol smiled at Therese after releasing her hand to be able to crouch down, knocking at the doors in a particular way before they were opened, soft music hitting their ears with clarity right away.

Therese absentmindedly watched Carol press a button on the wall as they climbed down the stairs that closed the doors, more curious to look at the unknown location. They made their way down together, holding hands once again with the excuse of keeping their balance. When they reached the end of the stairs, Therese gasped, looking around ─ the restaurant-bar with a cave-look appearance lightened with modern crystal chandeliers was enormous. It was divided in two sections, like day and night; the restaurant at the left side with yellowish lighting had a square grill in the middle, all seats taken by people enthralled watching the flamboyant cooking, though a column of stylish semi circle booths ran along the wall, facing the grill so nobody missed the entertainment. The bar at the right, with bluish lighting, covered an entire wall with small tables around that clearly weren’t meant primordially for comfort as a few pool tables were settled to play.

“How did you ever discover this place?” Therese’s still widened eyes looked at Carol, who was looking at her since the moment she started her scrutiny, smiling softly.

“In the same way I’ve discovered interesting places all along.” She shrugged. “By luck.” She was curious by the gathering of vehicles when there seemed to be nothing more.

Tugging her arm softly, Carol guided Therese to one booth. The young woman slid first until the middle, waiting for Carol to follow and looking up to her when she didn’t. She was looking at the bar’s direction until she felt Therese’s eyes on her, making her focus all her attention on her. “I’m going to get us some drinks. You want something special?”

“A glass of wine would be fine, thank you.” She found it incredibly charming that Carol was so chivalrous, wanting to do everything herself instead of waiting for someone.

“Coming right up.”

Carol didn’t pay attention to anything else as she walked to the bar. She took a deep breath to calm herself after making her order, not even sure why she was feeling so restless. Sharing her lifestyle with Therese, even if briefly, was having a reaction she didn’t expect ─ she was convinced that the exhilaration, the lust was going to be the only thing on her mind, as if this was merely foreplay, and although they were present, they were tarnished by the overgrowing fondness that made her heart skip a beat everytime Therese’s eyes shone in wonder at the new revelations. The young woman already proved to be so transparent to Carol’s eyes for her to believe that she was faking only to make her feel good about herself.

She was accustomed to the excessive eagerness that came from others once they gave a look at her clothes or the bike, the way their expressions changed at the opportunity of a wild one-night stand. But since last night, in the moment since those big green eyes looked at her with sincere interest at her stories, something began to stir in her. That's why she didn’t think twice about this trip ─ it was the first time Carol actually took someone on a ride. Many had asked, of course, but when it came to her motorcycle, she was selfish. It wasn't until Therese that she felt the raw need to share her world with someone, to put everything she valued on the line because there was always the chance of being judged, no matter how much Therese’s kindness appeared to be her main feature.

Sighing, Carol rubbed her face with her hands. _This is stupid. I shouldn’t feel out of balance because she’s enjoying this so much, I should be thrilled by it. And of course I am, but-_ Carol opened her eyes, sick of herself. She’d avoided Abby all day because she didn’t want her friend tainting this date and now it looked like she was doing it in her place. Turning around to look at Therese for a moment ─ because even when she was the kernel of her crisis, she also managed to make her forget about everything else when she was looking at her ─ Carol frowned when she saw the young woman wasn’t alone; a tall black haired man now sat on one of the ends of the booth but she smirked when she realized Therese had moved from her centered position where she had left her, almost at the other end, her stiffened smile and body making clear that she wasn’t welcoming the man.

Thanking the bartender and taking the drinks, Carol made her way back, this time feeling at ease, her mind with only one goal at the moment. Arriving at the table, she completely ignored the man, not even sparing a look. “Sorry for taking so long, babe.” She sat next to Therese, leaving the drinks on the table to then press their lips together in a chaste but tender kiss that was able to made them feel sparkles despite the brevity of it.

The tension was immediate after the action, but Carol’s interest was only fixated on one person. Therese looked surprised but not upset, her lips slightly parted as she lifted a hand to touch them, as if she couldn’t believe what just happened. Carol felt the desire to do it again but someone huffing reminded her why she had done this in the first place and that they weren’t alone. The grey eyes searched for the man who was now standing, glaring at Carol with disdain as she smiled smugly before he turned around in what he tried to made look like a prideful exit.

It was only when they were left alone that Carol speak, not turning her head towards her companion just yet. “I’m sorry, I’m sure there were other ways to save you but-” She interrupted herself at the feeling of Therese’s hand on her cheek, prompting her to look at her.

Therese was biting her lower lip when their eyes met, her hand sliding to the back of Carol’s head to pull her closer. Carol moaned when, after a few tentative brushes of their lips, she felt Therese’s tongue asking for permission that it didn’t take long to be guaranteed. It was slightly awkward to be kissing when there wasn’t much space to move freely, especially in the searingly way they were doing it, but Carol somehow managed to place her hand on Therese’s hip, bending a leg under her and shifting her body to be more comfortable, not wanting to break the moment. Therese’s other hand found Carol’s shoulder, fingers clutching the clothes as if she was afraid someone would dare to pull them apart.

Only the need to breathe made her pull away completely. Carol rested her forehead against Therese’s, nuzzling her nose against hers softly as she lifted a hand to caress the young woman’s cheek with reverence. Therese was looking at her with enthrallment and Carol was sure that her gaze was mirroring her own. “That was unexpected,” she whispered hoarsely.

Therese giggled adorably. “Do you always plan the things you want to do?”

“The opposite actually, but I have been thinking about kissing you since you came out of that cafeteria the day we met.” Therese blushed but her smile widened.

“I hope I lived up to your expectations.”

Carol shook her head, watching the way Therese’s contentment fell. “You shattered every fantasy by making the reality so much better.” She smiled, delighted with the way the woman’s features went from dismay to confusion until her words registered in her head, making her beam a smile.

 

* * *

 

Carol didn’t know how she managed to make the course to the beach with Therese’s body pressed against hers, arms wrapped around her waist when her own was still vibrating with the previous stimulation. After what transpired at the restaurant, they didn’t think there was any reason to conceal what had been so clear since the first moment, spending their time practically locked in some sort of physical contact.

Carol had been surprised when Therese, instead of getting shy with it, answered back every teasing with a confidence that was completely arousing. It had been her who after eating, took Carol’s hand in hers and without a word, guided her to the bar’s side to play pool ─ but when Therese handed her the cue, coyly telling her that she would have to teach her, it became clear for Carol that it was only a way of getting even after all the teasing she did when they were at the table.

After almost making Therese choke on her food because she placed her hand on the high of her thigh, sliding it inwards, Carol thought it was fair to give her the chance for revenge. The sweet torture of having Therese grinding her ass against her front whenever they bent to aim a ball made it worth it, even when sooner rather than later, Carol’s body was ready to burst at the overwhelming and growing sensations that every brush caused. That had been barely the beginning of it, though during the bike ride Therese didn’t do anything, not wanting to cause any scare, but the simple fact of having her close was enough for Carol.

It felt like Therese had started a fire and was adding gas to the flame, especially when they arrived at the beach ─ Carol eased to sit on the sand and Therese waited until she was comfortable to lower herself, sitting between Carol’s legs, leaning against her chest, using one of her shoulders as a pillow. It took the surprised woman a few seconds to react, draping an arm in front of Therese’s chest, her hand holding one shoulder, when she finally did it.

“It’s been so long since I came to the beach. And never at night,” Therese whispered, her eyes following the relaxing motion of the waves.

“I got married in the beach.” Carol scrunched up her nose.

Therese snorted because it was an image that she couldn’t quite link with the current Carol. “Really?”

“Oh yes. As you can probably imagine, after that day I avoided beaches at all cost. This is the first time I’ve come back to one, actually.”

Therese moved her head to look at her. “How long were you married?”

For someone who had lived a life she didn’t want, it took Carol a moment to remember exactly how much time she spent living like that. “A little over 6 years.”

“And you didn’t …” she nibbled at her bottom lip, worried because this wasn’t any of her business but she couldn’t help to ask. “... love him?”

This time, Carol took her time answering because she was mulling about it. “I did, the kind of affection you develop after spending so much time with a person, not because you naturally feel some sort of connection with that person.” She sighed. “He was a good man and I was lucky to be in a marriage I didn’t really want with him because he always treated me well but it wasn’t fair to keep going when we both wanted different things.”

Therese hummed. “I can understand that. I tend to feel bad about it because I care for the other person but it’s better in the long term.”

Carol lowered her head, nuzzling against Therese’s with her eyes closed as she hummed back in agreement but she didn’t say anything else. It didn’t bother her to answer Therese’s questions; it was in fact delightful that she wanted to know about her life but she wasn’t particularly fond of talking about her marriage on their date. “I need to ask you something.”

Therese tried to conceal her concern but her eyebrows betrayed her. “What is it?”

“Since we already kissed, can I presume that I can do it whenever I want or should I ask for permission every time?” She raised an eyebrow, looking amusingly serious.

Giggling, the young woman moved her head, hiding it against Carol’s neck, making her shiver when she spoke, her breath skimming against her skin. “You can do it whenever you want.”

It was all Carol needed to search for Therese’s lips, who sensing Carol’s need (though she was feeling it too), raised her head when she felt the other woman’s moving. As their lips claimed the others, Carol moved her hand from Therese’s shoulder to cup her jaw to keep her in place since the position she was in was somehow uncomfortable but the young woman couldn’t care less if her neck started to hurt, there wouldn’t be a good reason able to pull her apart from Carol’s lips.

“You are the most magnificent woman I’ve ever met,” Therese mumbled, her dazzling eyes locking with ones that were looking at her in wonder. Carol was studying Therese’s features, her hand now moving to softly caress over her face without tearing her eyes away from hers, able to catch the way the green eyes darkened, making her stomach tighten because she recognized that look. “Carol … take us back to wherever you are staying.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have an amazing beta. Thank you so much, Ligeria!

_**Thursday** _

It was past midnight when they were back at Patřít but Therese couldn’t care less about the fact that she would have to go to work in a few hours. The moment they entered Carol’s room, the rest of the world ceased to exist for her. Nothing else mattered beyond the woman that was looking at her with unadulterated desire in her eyes that was more than enough to make Therese shiver in pleasure. She licked her lips when Carol unzipped her jacket, letting it fall onto the ground, revealing her feminine muscular arms which prompted her to remove the gap between them, placing her hands on Carol’s forearms, sliding them up to her biceps, squeezing them softly.

Carol snickered, her hands going to rest on Therese’s hips as she lowered her head to kiss her. She felt her arousal increasing when their tongues mingled together in an indecent manner, causing her to lower her hands to squeeze Therese’s ass, who moaned into her mouth, slightly lifting herself on her tiptoes to throw her arms around Carol’s neck, deepening their kiss. Not even when the need to breathe turned into a reality did they separate their mouths, only decreasing the intensity of their motions, pecking at each other’s lips unhurriedly and tenderly.

Clothes were carelessly tossed onto the floor, hands more than eager to touch the soft and warm skin that was at their mercy. Therese’s hair fell over her chest, covering her breasts but when Carol move her hands to pull it aside, the woman nibbled at her lower lip, making Carol feel the hesitation. “Are you okay?”

Therese lowered her head a bit. “I- I probably should have said this before we were naked.” She gulped nervously. “I- I’m not- I don’t- I haven’t-”

The stuttering was adorable but Carol was curious about what Therese wanted to say, though an idea was forming in her mind and she supposed she should be the one to say it, because Therese didn’t look anywhere close to uttering the words. “You have never done this before?” she asked with softness.

The fact that Carol didn’t sound angry or disappointed with that concept made Therese feel better though it wasn’t exactly her case. “No, that’s not it … I have had sex, it’s just that I don’t have much experience because they haven't been world-shaking experiences.” She shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. What she didn’t dare to mention was the fact that she thought she was the problem.

Therese tried to make eye contact but she diverted her eyes after seeing the grey eyes that were intensely looking at her. But this time Carol held her chin, returning her attention to her. “Therese, you’ve never had an orgasm?”

She flushed with embarrassment. “Do the ones on my own count?”

Carol laughed delightedly, leaning down to kiss her softly. “Just for this, no, they don’t.”

“Then no,” she whispered weakly. During her first relationship when she had sex for the first time, she blamed her own inexperience and her boyfriend’s for it, but the next time, where he reached an orgasm and she didn’t, she couldn’t help but think that perhaps she wasn’t inspirational enough to motivate someone. This became a pattern with all of her partners, both men and women; it happened every time.

“Oh, darling, I’m so sorry.” Carol looked sincerely apologetic, as if all this was her fault, that Therese couldn’t help but laugh.

“It’s not your fault.” Her smile vanished with her next words. “But I wanted you to know because I don’t want you to feel bad if you don’t get me there ─ that if there’s the crazy chance you still want to do it after this revelation. Most likely there’s something wrong with me.” Another shrug. “We could do this all about you, believe me, I don’t have any problem with that, I’m actually looking forward to it, you are truly stunning and I’m dying to touch you, taste you and more but you have the last call now.”

Carol was surprised at Therese’s rambling; how she could go from one kind of nervousness where speaking was the last thing she could do, to the other where she could say all this without pausing, her blush intensifying as the only proof that it wasn’t particularly easy for her to say this. It took her a moment to say or do something about it, reacting only when Therese looked sheepishly at her. Carol kissed her in a way that made her feel a pang of pleasure between her legs, wiping away every drop of uncertainty she was feeling.

Carol remained silent when they broke apart, taking Therese’s hand before guiding her to the bed where she sat first, separating her legs before tugging the other woman’s arm to prompt her to sit between her legs as they had done so on the beach. Therese shivered at the first contact of their bodies without clothes as Carol moved her hair to the side, making it fall over the other shoulder, finally revealing those enticing breasts to her eyes. Her mouth dropped to Therese’s neck, brushing the skin before pressing tender kisses as her hands cupped Therese’s breasts gently, her thumbs softly playing with her nipples.

Therese closed her eyes as she let her head fall on Carol’s shoulder, her body naturally moving towards the hands that were giving her such attention. She whimpered a little when Carol’s hands released her breasts to wander over her body. “I can’t believe you are not even aware of how sublime you actually are,” Carol whispered in her ear, licking the shell as her right hand settled on Therese’s inner thigh, pressing softly to persuade her to open her legs.

Carol’s fingers ghosted over Therese’s sex, making her gasp but then she shrieked, opening her eyes in surprise when Carol unexpectedly took her by the waist to sit her on her lap, slightly to her left so she could duck her head to capture a nipple with her mouth. Therese threw her arm behind Carol’s head, shifting her body to give the other woman a better angle to start sucking while Carol used her legs as retainers to keep Therese open to her, exposing her to her hands that were sliding downwards once again.

This time there was no hesitation when Carol moved her fingers between Therese’s sticky folds, hissing when she discovered how soaked she was. “I’ll bet everything I hold dearly and say that you are not the one who’s at fault in your previous sexual encounters.” She removed her fingers, but not before gathering with two fingers all she could of Therese’s fluids, lifting her hand to their eyes’ height.

Therese’s breath hitched when Carol took her hand to her mouth, purposefully making eye contact with the other woman, licking her fingers greedily, then sucking them with the same enthusiasm until Therese stopped her by taking her wrist. She didn’t let go as she got closer to kiss Carol, resting again between her legs but this time sideways, one leg under Carol’s with the other over it, her tongue slipping and moving leisurely, tasting herself in the woman’s mouth. After a few moments she guided Carol’s hand back between her legs, insistently arching her hips towards it. Carol smiled against Therese’s mouth, not disappointing her when her fingers began to move with dexterity, knowing the right places to touch to build Therese’s desire.

It didn’t take long before Therese was writhing in her arms, though Carol could feel the tiniest reservation still in Therese's body; this only made her more determined to show her how wrong she was. Carol broke the kiss, waiting for Therese to look at her, who did so with slight confusion. In that moment, fingers slowly made their way inside her, making Therese part her lips in a soundless moan. Carol closed her eyes as she thrust slowly, overwhelmed by the way the young woman felt, by the way she was clenching her inner muscles around her fingers as if she didn’t want to let them go.

The wetness helped when the movements increased their speed, becoming fast and frequent, pausing from time to time when the fingers reached deep inside to curl the fingertips upwards. Therese dug her nails into one of Carol’s shoulder, scratching as her hand moved down her arm before quickly removing it since she didn’t want to disrupt its actions. She rested her head on the closer shoulder, taking her hand to Carol’s neck, feeling the other woman’s hand sneaking over her back towards her breast, squeezing it as Therese lifted her head to search for those enticing lips.

She could feel her lower belly tightening, the tongue that was stroking hers making it all even more intense, as if the fact that Carol’s thumb circling her clit wasn’t threatening to send her over the edge already, reaching the highest peak that was completely new for her. She'd never had the chance to experience the tingling sensation that was now traveling to every part of her body, or to lose the sense of sight when her eyes slammed shut as the explosion of pleasure exploded all over her, or the raw need to scream someone’s name before clinging to that person as her restless body kept moving against the woman that had made her feel such inexplicable and wondrous sensations.

“That … was …” Her chest was moving up and down rapidly while she tried to think of a word that was appropriate to explain how she felt but she couldn’t think straight.

Carol laughed, kissing her cheek before slowly moving her body to put Therese down on the bed as she covered her body with her own, this time kissing her mouth, more than willing to show her how there wasn’t anything wrong with her all the times she could during the rest of the night. A few hours later, a more than exhausted Therese was debating if she should leave when Carol pulled her to her, her shoulder becoming her new pillow as she draped an arm over her back, answering on her behalf. Therese sighed contentedly, closing her eyes as her body snuggled against Carol’s, her arm falling on her stomach, feeling the woman kiss her forehead before allowing sleep to take her.

The next time she opened her eyes was when the alarm of her cell phone rang. Carol growled, moving her arms away when, in her foggy state, she became aware that the woman in her arms was trying to free herself without disturbing her, dipping her head under the pillow, causing Therese to laugh at the adorable gesture as she stood up to search for the device between the clothes scattered on the floor. She started to get dressed after turning the alarm off, though what she wanted the most was to return to the woman in bed.

“I have to go.” Therese sat on the edge of the bed, her hand falling on Carol’s back, caressing it with featherlight touches.

“Give me a second to get dressed and I will take you,” she said in a sleepy voice.

“That’s not necessary, I can walk.” Carol turned her head in her direction and Therese leaned down to kiss her cheek.

Carol propped herself up on her arms, turning her body a little. Therese couldn’t help but look down, her gaze lingering on Carol’s breasts. “What kind of person would I be if I don’t take you home after a date?”

“The kind of person who respects my decisions and knows that I can take care of myself,” she teased, looking back to her eyes.

“I do, but that part of me that is wooing you, wants to be chivalrous.” Therese’s eyes softened with tenderness. “If I’m not, you would start to think I’m not worthy and you won’t agree when I tell you that I want to see you later.”

Therese chuckled, feeling her heartbeat speeding up its rhythm at the woman’s words. “If there was a chance of me seeing you not worth it, I wouldn’t have spent any time with you.” She kissed Carol, speaking when she pulled away. “I want to see you too but after work I’m going to spend all day with Rindy since we didn’t see each other much yesterday.” There was a part of her that wanted to spend time with both of them at the same time but she had no idea how Carol felt about having to interact with a child. “But I could see you during my lunch break, if that’s okay?”

Carol smiled at Therese’s unsure expression, as if there was a chance she would say no to any chance she could get to see her. “Great. Call me when you are free; we can go and have lunch together.”

“I will.” Therese kissed her once again, though this time Carol made it even harder to leave when she placed a hand behind her head, opening her mouth to take hers in a searing kiss that left Therese panting before she could stand up from the bed, walking out of the room in a hazy state as Carol looked very pleased with herself.

 

* * *

 

Therese was fighting back the yawns all day, trying not to look unprofessional as she exchanged words with the people she was working with. She was exhausted and her body was sore, though a slow smile grew every second until she was beaming at the memory of why she was in such a state. Having sex with Carol had been a revelation, and not only because it showed her that she was able to have an orgasm when another person was involved or because it made her feel an extraordinary confidence that she was able to turn another woman into a mess of writhing and moans. It had been the way Carol was so attentive with her, scratching the point of being sincerely affectionate that threw Therese out of balance ─ she hadn’t only felt desired as never before but also cherished.

Both were aware and had agreed that this was just a fling. Though to be fair, they had never directly talked about it, Therese assuming it due to Carol’s lifestyle; either way, no matter how much Therese thought that Carol was the most magnificent, smart, interesting, desirable woman she had met or that she made her feel more alive than anybody else or that under other circumstances, she would be more than interested to see where this could go, it wasn’t a possibility because sooner or later the other woman would be gone. Therese was okay with that ─ at least that’s what she told herself whenever she managed dwelling on any sign that pointed otherwise because if she did, she would ended up cutting ties once and for all.

Like those times when she couldn’t help but wonder if Carol was like this with her other conquests ─ if what she had told Therese that she was different (and she believed it), perhaps when it came to sex there wasn’t a difference, perhaps she was naturally attentive and affectionate with everyone. Just because in Therese’s case being with Carol had been different, didn’t mean that the same happened to the other woman. Just because there were times when Therese fleetingly wondered if she was falling head over heels in love with Carol because she was feeling high with happiness, didn’t mean the other woman was on the same page.

“Hey, stranger.”

Therese jumped, too lost in her thoughts to hear Genevieve getting closer but she was grateful to be pulled out of them. She didn’t need to be pondering about it if she wanted to enjoy it. “Hey, what are you doing here?”

Her friend raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. She sat next to her. “I came for you so we can go and meet Danny in our usual place to have lunch together. As we always do.”

 _Crap_. “Right, sorry, I have been distracted with work.” She sighed, closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead, faking dissapointment. “And that’s the reason why today it’s not going to be possible. I have a meeting with some contractors.” Therese didn’t want to mull over why it was so easy to lie at this moment or the way she seemed to be good at it because Genevieve didn’t question it.

“That sucks! I feel like we haven’t had much chance to spend time together.”

In that moment, Therese felt incredibly guilty, wondering if it was actually worth it to lie to her friend for someone who she barely knew. “That’s my fault – I’m sorry.”

“No, I get it. I’m thrilled for this opportunity you have but growing up and being responsible is a very shitty thing that I wished we could avoid.”

“Because I was such a party girl back then?” Therese raised an eyebrow, smiling softly.

Genevieve pushed her with the side of her body. “You know what I mean.”

“Everything’s going to be back to its normal pace, you’ll see.” Because Carol would be gone and she wouldn’t have a stunning woman distracting her from everything.

Placing her head on Therese’s shoulder, the woman sighed. “Do you know anything about Rindy?”

“I do.” She had talked with her sister a few minutes before the girl went to school. “I’m going to quote her: I had so much fun that I didn’t have time to miss you.” Both women laughed. “I’m glad though; I didn’t want her fun time with her friend to be stained in some way.”

“And what did you do on your free day?” She lifted her head from her shoulder to look at her.

Therese was saved by the bell since at that moment the alarm of her cell phone went off, signaling lunch hour. She sighed heavily, keeping her charade of doing something she wasn’t looking forward to do. “I have to go. I will see you later, okay?”

Genevieve nodded although Therese missed the gesture since she was looking at her cell phone at the time she walked towards her car. She was writing a message to Carol but in the end decided not to send it, wanting to surprise her because even if she was aware that they would see each other, Carol had a lunch in mind and Therese had other plans.

 

* * *

 

They didn’t even make it to the bed this time. The moment Carol opened the room’s door to look at Therese, her eyes widened a little in surprise but she wasn’t able to say a word as the young woman smiled coquettishly at her, her arms reaching for her, hands tangling in her soft hair to pull her towards her, kissing her heatedly as she closed the door. With her body, Therese pushed her towards the closest flat surface, her hands sliding down over Carol’s back to her ass, where she lifted her to place her over the dresser. Carol wrapped her legs around Therese’s waist, her body arching against hers, placing her hands on her nape to keep their kiss going.

“The last time was all about me-” Therese whispered against Carol’s lips.

“That’s not true,” she interrupted her. Therese managed to put her hands on her, distracting her from her task at hand a couple of times.

“Fine, but I didn’t have the chance to taste you and I told you I was dying to and I can’t spend one more second without doing it.” Carol actually shuddered at the words filled with intention.

There wasn’t time, or the need for that matter, to take off each other’s clothes. Therese only unbuttoned Carol’s jeans, lowering them along with her underwear below the knee before kneeling in front of her, placing her legs on her shoulders, the garment working as a holder behind her head so Therese didn’t have to use her hands to support Carol’s legs. The harsh bruise, that looked worse than it probably was since Carol was able to move with no complaint, on the woman’s thigh, drew Therese’s attention, who kissed it tenderly, her fingertips brushing it faintly, not wanting to cause any kind of pain.

Carol let out a shaky sigh at the unexpected and loving gesture, her heartbeat getting out of control when Therese looked up, her eyes mirroring the affection. However, she could see the way the lust washed away any other emotion, as Therese’s hands skimmed over her inner thighs towards her pussy. Not having the luxury of much time, Therese parted Carol’s folds, feeling the way her stomach contracted at seeing how wet she was, moving forward to flick her tongue against Carol’s entrance, making her moan with delight as she placed a hand on Therese’s head, taking a handful of dark hair.

Therese moved her tongue leisurely, making sure to stroke every fold with full dedication. Carol’s moans were making her sex throb until at one point she had to dip her hand inside her panties to touch herself, thankful that her work attire was always a skirt. Therese wasn’t aware of it at first, but she was following the woman’s moans as tempo, her tongue and fingers stroking simultaneously and she wondered if Carol realized too when her moans became more frequent. She didn’t mind following suit, eager for more as her tongue darted towards Carol’s clit at the same time she thrust her fingers inside her.

Carol quivered sharply at the combination of fervent licks and suction on her clit, suctions that thanks to all the moaning Therese was making, were affecting her even more, because she was purposefully doing it against her, the vibration working perfectly as extra stimulation. She should feel ashamed, knowing that she was getting closer to the edge in so little time but if there was someone to blame it was the awestruck woman between her legs that definitely knew what she was doing.

Feeling Carol’s thighs pressing against her head and hearing her say her name pleadingly was heavenly for Therese. In just one night, she had became addicted to the way Carol pronounced her name when she was close to orgasm. Taking her fingers to her clit, Therese rubbed energetically as her tongue moved from one side to another over Carol’s clit, not caring about the possibility of ending up with an injury at the way Carol was bucking her hips into her face, her other hand joining the one that was on Therese’s head to keep her in place, overwhelming and delicious shockwaves of pleasure starting to travel all over her body.

Therese stilled her hand when her orgasm hit her but kept moving her hips erratically against it, feeling how Carol tugged softly at her hair, arching her back, saying her name once again as she enjoyed her own peak of pleasure that only worked to increase Therese’s. She stopped moving her body when the aftershocks disappeared, leaving her only with a pleasant throbbing between her legs but she kept licking, this time in a lazy pace, her tongue now moving over Carol’s slit, wanting to prolong the sensation until the woman whimpered softly, too sensitive for more at the moment, her hands moving away from her head.

Therese licked her lips as she stood up, fearing for a second that her legs weren’t going to be able to hold her, as much for her recent orgasm as for the numbness after spending a considerable time on her knees. Carol watched her, her eyes slightly unfocused before she was able to focus them on Therese’s chin that was covered in fluids. She took Therese’s hands, tugging her down until her body was hovering over Carol’s, who raised her head and began to lick. The young woman closed her eyes, concentrating all her senses on the way the tongue was moving until she was moaning, grinding her body against the other. Carol licked her way to Therese’s mouth after cleaning her chin, taking it in a searingly kiss.

They were still trying to recover their breathing after breaking apart when Therese spoke. “I lied to my best friend just to come and do this.”

Carol frowned, not quite sure if she should feel offended or not. “Are you ashamed of … this?” She was tempted to ask if she was ashamed of her but she didn’t want to sound so desperate.

“No, no.” She rested her forehead against Carol’s. “That has nothing to do with it.” She kissed her slowly, reassuringly. “It’s just that she would ask questions and I just want to enjoy my time with you instead of losing it answering them. Is that so bad?” She pursed her lips, feeling insecure because she had never felt this kind of need.

“The lying or wanting to spend time with me?” She teased with a smile, feeling more calm. Therese narrowed her eyes at her but she giggled a little. “No, I actually understand, I have been avoiding Abby because she would interrogate me endlessly about you.”

It was reassuring for Therese that she wasn’t the only one acting like that so she beamed a smile at Carol, who growled when her dimples marked her cheeks. “What?”

“Those dimples of yours should be considered a mortal weapon.” Therese laughed, which didn’t help her case. “Pretty much all of you should be considered as such.”

“That has to be the most original way someone has had to say they find me attractive.” Still smiling, she leaned forward to kiss Carol provocatively. Pulling apart, she crouched to free herself from her captivity, allowing the other woman to stand up to fix her clothes.

Doing it, Carol looked at the clock on the wall. “Come on, there’s still time.” She reached for Therese’s hand, who momentarily thought that they were going to have more sex, realizing that Carol was taking them to what could be considered a small living room. There was food on the coffee table that was in front of a couch waiting for them and Therese felt her heart throwing a party when Carol looked back at her, curious for her reaction, her eyes clearly sparkling with joy when she saw Therese’s surprised but cheerful expression, a lovely smile decorating her lips.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much, Ligeria!

_**Friday** _

It was Rindy’s last day from school and that day kids would only go for a few hours instead of a full day as usual, since they were only going to say goodbye to their friends until the next school year. For Therese, it was pointless to take her when she wouldn’t be doing anything important, but she did it anyway since the other option was having her sister with her, bored out of her mind as she worked. Therese decided to work the most she could until lunchtime, when she had to go pick up Rindy, before taking the rest of the day off to be with her. She told everyone that she would be available on her cell phone in case it was necessary.

The two sisters were now in Rindy’s favorite restaurant that sold all the unhealthy food a kid could love. There might be a chance that Therese had picked that place since it was close to their house, in case the woman that she couldn’t get out of her head decided to pass by. “Tee, is that Carol?” She was looking through the window of their booth as they waited for their food, placing her hands and tip of her nose against it to have a better look.

Just hearing that name made Therese’s heart quicken its pace and she abruptly turned her head to the window. It was indeed Carol (Therese was going to end up having a heart attack if she wasn’t able to control her reaction to that woman), standing next to her bike looking down at something that they couldn’t see. There wasn’t anything unusual on her but the young woman inwardly groaned because having her under the sunlight made Therese felt like she was watching her standing on the middle of a stage under the spotlight.

“That’s her,” she answered softly.

“Can we call her?” Therese raised an eyebrow at Rindy’s interest in her but she supposed she couldn’t blame her when she herself was under her spell.

“If that’s what you want,” she responded nonchalantly, as if she wasn’t looking forward to the very same thing.

Therese was about to stand up when Rindy hit the window in an attempt to draw the other woman’s attention, hitting hard enough that some customers turned their heads to look at them. Therese smiled sheepishly in a gesture of apology before looking at her sister, who was about to hit the window again but before Therese could stop her, Carol turned her head in their direction. There was confusion on her face at first, since she looked around mainly for instant reaction to the sound but when she realized it was them, she grinned and Rindy made a gesture with her hand to call her.

Carol looked at Therese to see if she was okay with the outcome, being rewarded with a roll of her eyes as if saying _“really, Carol?”_ before walking towards the restaurant. The young woman tried to see her reflection through the window, running her fingers through her hair in an attempt to look presentable although she already was. She could see Rindy following Carol with her eyes so she knew the moment she was standing next to their booth as the girl’s stance lightened up.

“Hi, Carol!” Resting her elbows on the table and her head on her hands, Rindy look at her with fascination.

“Hello, pretty girl.” She chuckled when Rindy giggled, slowly turning her head to look at Therese. “Hello, Therese.”

“Hey.” She smiled. “Sorry for interrupting whatever plan you might have.”

“I was actually about to text you, or call you … whatever I decided to do at the last second.” She raised her right hand, showing her cell phone but what was curious was that behind it was a red rose. Her eyes widened in fake surprise. “Oh right, I almost forgot the most important thing I wanted to do today.” She turned her attention to Rindy. “This is for you.”

It was endearingly adorable the way Rindy’s mouth fell open with amazement, eyes opening wide. “Really?” There was a tinge of hopefulness in her voice as if she couldn’t believe it.

“Of course! I told you that if I had known you were there, I would have brought one for you so now that I know, I couldn’t leave you without one, don’t you think?” She smiled sweetly, wanting to transmit her confidence as she moved her hand towards her.

Rindy wasn’t the only one amazed. Therese was watching the scene, not believing her eyes. She saw her sister reach for the flower as she thanked the woman for the gesture, feeling her heart was doing all kind of somersaults in her chest. At one moment she gasped because she had been holding her breath like an idiot without even being aware of it, an action that drew Carol’s attention to her. Therese blushed, lowering her head, squirming a little in her seat and she couldn’t believe she was reacting like this when the previous day she had been so uninhibited with Carol. But that had been all about sex and this felt completely different.

“You should stay and eat with us,” Rindy happily said, not aware of the exchange between the women.

“Uhm, I appreciate the invitation but I don’t want to be a bother.” Carol smiled apologetically at the little girl, suddenly unsure due to Therese’s reaction.

At least the apprehension that those words made her feel caused Therese to react. “Don’t be silly, you can stay if you don’t have anything else to do.”

“Are you sure?” She raised an eyebrow.

“Absolutely.” Therese smiled sincerely, pushing her thoughts back in her head because they always made her act foolish. She slid to the side to give Carol room to sit down next to her as proof.

Carol did after a few seconds, scrutinizing the young woman. “Are you sure this is okay?” she whispered, taking advantage that Rindy was completely engrossed with her present.

“I am, really.” She moved her head closer to her. “You just surprised me, that’s all. But not in a bad way.” Perhaps that would help to make things easier because she really didn’t need things that pointed out how incredible that woman was.

Carol smiled, reassured, making Therese’s eyes fall on those lips, doing a very crazy thing after verifying from the corner of her eye that Rindy wasn’t looking at them: she moved forward to place a soft kiss on them. It was Carol’s turn to be completely astonished though in retrospect Therese was as well, not believing what she had done. They had been avoiding the real world whenever they were together because they didn’t want to deal with the obstacles that it could present, mostly in the form of their best friends and even if they weren’t present, the gesture felt like something huge.

Before any of them could say something about it, the waiter came with Rindy and Therese’s food, asking if Carol would be eating something, who instinctively answered that she would have what the young woman ordered (chicken fingers with french fries and honey mustard). Rindy carefully placed her rose over the table before picking up one of the chicken nuggets off her plate, looking at them so seriously that it made Therese feel nervous, thinking that she hadn’t been careful like she thought, after taking a small bite.

“If I eat it all, can we go for an ice cream?”

There was a beat before the young woman laughed, followed by Carol. “Of course, monkey.” Satisfied, Rindy focused back on her food, giving the women a little bit of privacy. “I should apologize for-”

“No.” Carol hurried to interrupt her, looking at her warmly. “You don’t have to apologize for that as long as it was something you wanted to do.”

“I wouldn’t have done it otherwise.” The soft blush appeared on her cheeks but she didn’t look away from Carol. That was precisely part of the problem, how much she wanted to be doing those kind of things.

Carol placed an arm over the seat backrest, her hand touching Therese’s hair. “Then there’s no reason why you should apologize.” This time it was her eyes that dropped onto the other woman’s lips but before she could have the chance to do anything about it, the waiter return with her food.

 

* * *

 

Abby was sick of Carol’s evasive attitude, especially because she knew she was lying to her. Yesterday, she had seen Therese leaving her friend’s room with a beaming smile only to be stopped in the doorframe, where a slightly disheveled Carol appeared to kiss her senseless before letting her go. Abby couldn’t care less about the fact that she had scored with the pretty girl as usual but the hurtful feeling of being treated like an idiot was very upsetting. She couldn’t understand the sudden change in Carol’s behavior but she was sure of one thing – she wouldn't keep allowing her to treat her like she was born yesterday. She had decided to leave, and if Carol wanted to remain acting like a fool, it was on her.

However, the image that her eyes found as she walked through the park, back to the motel, made her change her mind entirely since the desire to get answers became stronger. Carol was sitting next to Therese on a bench, one arm draped over the backrest with the young woman’s head leaning slightly in her direction but without making some sort of contact, looking at a little girl that was on a swing in front of them, looking in their direction. The girl wasn’t swaying, only sitting since she was eating an ice cream but suddenly she stood up, walked towards the women, and gave her dessert to Therese as she said something. Now it was Carol’s turn to stand up, walking towards the swing to help the girl to sit back before pushing her until she reached a considerable altitude that had her giggling in delight.

Carol was smiling when she sat back down next to Therese (who was feeling beyond giddy, her eyes going from her sister to her), but in that moment she felt the nagging sensation of being watched and when she looked around, she found Abby’s eyes on her right away, which made her smile disappear. “Fuck.”

Therese naturally worried but instead of asking, she followed Carol’s eyes direction, cringing when she saw the other woman. “I suppose it was meant to happen if we are outside.” It was their own fault for behaving so recklessly.

Carol sighed, resigned. “I better go and talk to her. I will be right back, okay?” She clarified because she didn’t want Therese to think that she was taking this as her chance to go.

After receiving a nod, Carol stood up once again, making her way to her friend who didn’t hesitate to voice her opinion once she was close enough. “What in the fuck is going on, Carol?” Abby frowned, half-annoyed, half-curious.

Running her fingers through her hair, Carol averted her eyes from the woman in front of her, wondering what she should say first to calm her down. “I’m sorry for lying to you,” she said sincerely, relieved to see the way Abby’s eyes twinkled.

“What I don’t get is why you did. You are fucking her, so what? It was expected.”

Carol’s desire to scream right in Abby’s face that it was so much more than that was strong but she wasn’t willing to make a scene when Rindy was so close. There was also a desperate want to keep a little of what was going on between her and Therese hidden, as if she wanted to protect it. Something was already in the open but her feelings didn’t need to be one of those things, especially when she was still wrapping her mind around the new emotions she was discovering thanks to Therese and when she wanted nothing more to enjoy her time with her and Rindy without having any kind of intrusion to the personal world they had created. Never in her life had she felt the way she felt now, so smitten with someone that she didn’t care about anything else.

“Right. I just didn’t want you to annoy me with leaving once you knew it had happened.” She hated to be so crude but the way Abby smiled made it clear that it was what worked with her.

“That good, huh?” Abby turned her head to look at Therese so she didn’t see the way Carol clenched her hands into fists. “Perhaps when the high you have with her settles down, you can let me have my way with her.”

Carol knew that violence wasn’t the way to go, not when Abby’s suggestion had happened before, but those women meant absolutely nothing to her. It didn’t matter if she was her friend (and at the moment she wasn’t feeling like such), Carol would be damned if she let her treat Therese like a sex toy. Rindy’s laugh was the only thing that was able to change her mind and instead of connecting her fist with Abby’s jaw, she draped her arm on her shoulders, harshly turning her around so she wasn’t able to look at them.

“Not going to happen, buddy,” she said between gritted teeth, smiling coldly at her friend. “She’s off limits, you get it?”

Abby raised her eyebrows, surprised. There was a part of her that wanted nothing more than to provoke Carol because she was always so calm that this was out of character, but her common sense made her nod. “So, how long do you plan we stay here now?”

Carol freed Abby from her hold. “I don’t know.” It was unknown to everyone that Therese was the one who held that decision because Carol was very interested in staying to be able to spend time with her. “But you can leave Abby, I told you that already.” She rolled her eyes because she wanted to be left alone.

“Nah, I’m going to stay.” She couldn’t wait to see the outcome this situation would have.

Carol pursed her lips, forcing a smile when what she wanted the most was to curse her luck. She didn’t even know if Abby was behaving like a good friend or if she was acting only for her desire to satiate her curiosity. “Fine. See you around then.”

She didn’t wait for Abby’s answer, hurrying her way back to Therese and Rindy, who wasn’t in the swing anymore, and was now sitting next to her sister, finishing her ice cream, wanting to be back inside their happy bubble. Though Abby had done a good job at throwing a stone at them to remind them about the real world, when two pairs of eyes looked at her, curious but happy for her return, Carol was able to smile sincerely. “Everything okay?” Therese felt a little restless but she was doing a good job at not letting it show.

Carol sat next to Rindy, leaving her in the middle. “Yeah. Just that sometimes I feel like I’m dealing with a puppy.” It was as if Abby was unable to do things without her.

Therese wanted to ask about the conversation, knowing that it had been about her because Carol seemed on edge but sensing that the woman didn’t want to keep dealing with that, she bit her tongue. Rindy, as if sensing it too, was who changed the topic. “Carol, Tee was eating my ice cream.”

“Did she now?” She smirked, looking at Therese who for some reason blushed as if caught red-handed.

“Yeah.” She pouted exaggeratedly. “And it’s not fair because you bought it for me, and you warned her that she better not eat of my ice cream since she didn’t want one.”

“I see.” She made a dramatic pause. “What if we go to buy you another so you can have a sugar rush and you don’t go to bed until very late as her punishment?”

Carol threw her head back laughing as Therese offendedly exclaimed a _“don’t you dare!”_ at the same time Rindy supported her decision with a _“yey”!_ Carol smiled innocently at Therese after clearing out the situation with Rindy, who was back on the swing after being fleetingly disappointed when she was told that she wasn’t getting an extra ice cream that day. But once Carol promised her that she would buy her another some other time, she accepted the deal without any problem at all. Therese narrowed her eyes in response but it didn’t last long because her features softened when Carol placed her hands on the backrest of the bench to lean down to kiss her leisurely until she was smiling against those lips.

 

* * *

 

It was sundown when Carol walked Therese and Rindy home. The little girl was about to run inside the house once her sister opened the door, pretty sure that she was going to be followed by the women when Carol stopped her, holding her by the waist to pick her up in her arms, making her squeal before laughing. “Where do you think you're going before saying goodbye to me?” Carol narrowed her eyes in mock offense once Rindy turned her head to look at her over her shoulder.

“I thought you were coming with us.”

Before answering, Carol maneuvered Rindy’s body so they could be face to face. “I think I have been stealing too much of your time. I don’t want you guys to get bored with me.” Not giving Therese or Rindy a chance to answer, she kept talking. “Though there’s also a chance that I like to spend so much time with you two that it will be impossible to make me go at some point.” Rindy giggled as Therese tried not to think how great that idea actually was. “But you will see me soon, hopefully.” She looked at Therese after saying that, who raised a curious eyebrow.

“Yeah?” After receiving a nod, the girl smiled brightly, wrapping her arms around Carol’s neck before kissing her cheek resoundingly. “Thank you so much for today,” she said timidly but sincerely.

“It was my pleasure, sweetie.” She kissed Rindy’s cheek before putting her down on the ground. Rindy ran after screaming a _“bye!”_ because as they made their way to the house, she was hurrying them, worried about her flower dying. “Perhaps I should have talked with you first before telling her that she would see me soon,” Carol admitted once they were alone.

“Perhaps.” But she smiled softly. “What’s that about?”

“Someone gave me this.” She pulled out a flyer out of the back pocket of her jeans, handing it to Therese who unfolded it. “And I was wondering if you two would like to go with me.”

Therese’s eyes remained on Carol for longer than they should, surprised because the other woman seemed nervous ─ she was nibbling at her bottom lip, her eyes wandering around without looking at her. She understood why when her gaze fell down, not needing to read the paper she was holding since she recognized the image. It was a flyer about the town fair that started today. Therese obviously had plans to go with Rindy, but it was going to be tomorrow because it was always better to wait a day so all the attractions were already settled. Carol’s nervousness now made sense, especially after Therese told her that she hadn’t talked with anyone about this thing between them and going together would be like shouting it from the rooftops.

Therese’s brain was already pondering her options when she caught a glimpse of her sister through the window, who was holding a vase with her flower in it before disappearing through the hall, most likely taking it to her bedroom. In that moment she forgot about any reasoning she probably should have done, because her heart took control in that moment, reminding her how happy this woman had made her sister without any effort and how happy she had been making her. She selfishly wanted more of that now that she was able to momentarily ignore her thoughts in order to feel, not even contemplating that it could be a terrible idea.

Giving a step towards the woman, Therese wrapped her arms around her neck once she looked at her. “We would love to go with you, Carol.”

Carol’s eyes widened but she hugged Therese by the waist, naturally. “Really?” There was amazement in her voice.

“Mmhmm, really.” She smiled with affection. She sincerely didn’t care if acquaintances or friends saw them together and had something to say about it.

Carol let out a soft, relieved sigh before joining her forehead with Therese’s. “Thank you.”

“Thank you for inviting us.” She kissed her chastely before pulling away because Rindy was waiting for her, after all. She placed the hand which she was holding the flyer with against Carol’s chest, waiting to be taken.

“Oh, by the way,” Carol remembered once she looked down at the flyer once it was in her hold, “I have been wanting to ask you this since the first time we went out together, but as you can imagine, I’ve been distracted.” Therese laughed. “But Patřit is a very curious name for a town; does it have a meaning?”

The young woman licked her lips, looking away as a car passed by. “Yeah, it’s a Czech word. It means ‘To belong’.” She cleared her throat, feeling sheepish for some reason. “Viktor chose that name after meeting the woman that would become his wife while the town came to life. The funny thing is that every member of the Belivet family has found their soulmate, love of their lives, true love, however you want to call it, in this place, so … at least we give sense to the name,” she joked.

Carol smiled with delight. “That’s a very original and lovely concept.” She then turned serious. “Have you found yours?”

Not missing the way Therese’s eyes sparkled meaningfully, Carol’s heart skipped a beat. However, the young woman didn’t answer, walking backwards without tearing her gaze away from her. She paused when she reached the doorframe to shrug, smiling amusedly when the other woman rolled her eyes. “See you tomorrow, Carol.”

Carol sighed deeply as a goofy smile curved her lips regardless. She watched the woman that was the reason of her mesmerized state since the moment she saw her (and she should add a 6 year-old girl too) disappear behind the door, knowing that the hours until she could see them again would be eternal.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much, Ligeria!

_**Saturday** _

A little over 24 hours without seeing them and Carol was feeling like a junkie needing her next fix. She didn’t know if her case was endearing or pathetic. It had been hard to find something to do all day but at least a good thing had happened since yesterday and that was that Abby had stopped bothering her every chance she got ─ they had even met for a few hours and not a single time did she mention Therese or when they were leaving. Carol took it as a good sign, though not to the point of being completely honest with her friend.

When it was sundown, Carol said goodbye to Abby, dreading the moment as she stood up, expecting her to ask because Abby couldn’t stand being left in the dark but her friend only wished her a good time before standing too, walking towards a group of young women that had been looking at them. There was a sensation of freedom as Carol drove towards Therese’s home that had nothing to do with riding her bike.

Therese narrowed her eyes when she and Rindy left the house, seeing Carol sitting on her motorcycle waiting for them. She hoped that Carol wasn’t expecting to use it as their transportation because as much as she loved it the first time, she wouldn’t agree now that Rindy was going to be with them. But Carol was already getting off of it, putting the keys in her pocket as she walked towards them.

After greeting an enthusiastic Rindy, Carol smiled at Therese. “Are we going to take your car or are we going to walk?” Being surprised was silly, Therese knew it because Carol had proved over and over again how adept she was at knowing her needs. Her only answer was to stretch her arm towards Carol, waiting for her to take the car keys that dangled between her fingers. “Really? You are going to let me drive?” She raised a curious eyebrow but she took the keys anyway.

“I trust you.” She smiled sincerely before taking Rindy’s hand and walking towards the car, hearing Carol behind them.

Carol watched Therese hold the rear door open so Rindy could get inside before leaning down to help her with the seatbelt. Grey eyes traveled the curves of her ass inevitably, images of the other day hitting their owner’s mind, making her stomach tighten with desire, as a pleasant sensation traveled down between her legs. She really shouldn’t be reminiscing at this precise moment the way Therese propped herself on all fours in an attempt to ‘trap’ her beneath her, as Carol’s hands roamed from her back to her ass. The car’s door closing made her jump slightly, pulling her out of her thoughts as her eyes darted up to look at Therese’s face.

“Are you okay?” she asked after seeing Carol’s distant look.

“Sure, just remembering things I shouldn’t.” She smiled mischievously, walking towards the driver’s door when she changed her trajectory to the passenger seat.

Therese blushed when it clicked on her what those things were. “Are you not going to drive?” She decided it was safer to change the subject, especially when Rindy was around. It was already proven that her self-control was almost nonexistent when it came to Carol.

“Yes, but there’s this thing called being chivalrous that comes natural to me when you are part of the picture, darling.” She opened the door, following Therese with her eyes as she surrounded the car.

The young woman smiled affectionately once she was in front of Carol, placing a hand over her cheek. “You certainly know how to woo a woman.” Her voice was joking but her eyes didn’t share that particularity but before Carol could scrutinize deeper, Therese got into the car.

 

* * *

 

The fair, that wasn’t different from others with its reasonable amount of attractions, several lines of stalls that varied from food to games to earn some prizes, gave the strange sensation that the town was so much bigger than it seemed ─ there were a lot of people that gave the impression that every person that lived there was at the fair at that moment, which was silly because Carol had seen the establishments working as usual as they drove by. As they parked, Carol looked at the children tugging their parents’ arms with one of their own while with the other, they pointed in every direction.

Rindy began to gush excitedly to where they should go first, her childish excitement normal for Therese, but knowing that for someone that wasn’t used to it could be overwhelming, which was why she was ready to mouth an apology to Carol. But she was surprised to find the woman looking at Rindy with a fond smile, listening to her with sincere interest. They got out of the car, Therese with a sensation of bewilderment. Rindy quickly held her hand before walking to Carol and holding her hand with her free hand.

The woman looked down, fascinated by the little hand holding hers without any hesitation, feeling a heartwarming sensation traveling all over her body. Clearing her throat, Carol squeezed Rindy’s hand so the girl would look at her. “So, what you want to do first?” She had said so many options in the car but nothing had been confirmed.

“I’m not sure,” she answered sheepishly, as if suddenly they were going to think they were bad ideas.

“Hey.” Carol squatted to be at Rindy’s height without letting her hand go. “If it’s something you want to do and it’s going to make you happy, then it’s going to make us happy too. No matter what it is.”

Therese’s heart was beating so fast that it was painful, feeling that her legs were going to fail her. The moment was so loving that it made her wonder if it was possible for a person to melt from tenderness until Rindy said _“I want you to carry me on your shoulders”_ because it felt like a test and that she was taking advantage of Carol. “Rindy, that’s not-” but Carol interrupted her with a laugh.

“All right, if that’s what you want.”

“You don’t have to do everything she wants,” Therese said, frowning.

“But I want to.” Carol looked around to find a place where she could sit so Rindy could climb on her, smiling when she saw the picnic tables.

“Are you doing this to impress me?” Therese whispered after Carol pulled them in the table’s direction, regretting the words after she said them.

Carol raised an eyebrow. “No.” She tried to not feel offended by such an accusation but it was hard. “As hard as it is to believe, you have nothing to do with the fact that I like to make Rindy happy.”

She sat to tell Rindy to hop up on the table and then to her shoulders, feeling a little tense about what just happened. Neither women said a word as Rindy climbed up on the table but Therese helped her sister when it was time to climb on Carol’s shoulders, warning her about not doing crazy things. She nervously bit her lip when Carol stood up (ignoring the way her sister giggled at her new height), watching her fingers wrapping around Rindy’s ankles, worried that the woman wouldn’t be able to stand with the extra weight on her but when Therese realized that Carol wasn’t breaking a sweat, she relaxed, stepping in front of her before she started to walk.

“I’m sorry for what I said,” she said in a low voice, looking down in shame before making eye contact with Carol. “Everyone thinks that Rindy is the quickest way to win me over.” Now that she said those words she realized how stupid she had been because Carol had won her over before interacting with Rindy. “I’m … not used to this.” She knew it wasn’t fair to put her in the same position like the rest when she was having so much impact on her life.

That was enough to soften Carol’s expression. She let go of Rindy’s ankles, placing an arm over her shins as a security hold, caressing Therese’s cheek with her free hand. “I understand.”

Therese smiled, relieved, not stopping herself from standing on her tiptoes to place a lingering kiss on Carol’s cheek. The decision of not caring about other people’s opinions was still very much present but that didn’t prevent the internal curse when someone said her name, making her pull away from Carol, immediately recognizing the voice. Genevieve was looking at her with wide eyes, her parents next to her ─ it had been her mother who called her, her friend too shocked by the image that she couldn’t do anything beyond looking.

“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Cantrell … Gen.” She smiled at her apologetically.

“Genny didn’t tell us we would be seeing you today, dear,” Mrs. Cantrell said as she scrutinized over Therese’s shoulder, clearly looking at the woman behind her.

“That’s because I didn’t know, mother.” She was finally able to react, speaking between gritted teeth.

Therese wrinkled her nose, feeling guilty. “Yeah well, we were invited and-” She felt Carol moving closer to her. “It was a little unexpected.” Even though she knew that if it wasn’t for Carol, she would have come with Genevieve and Dannie as every year.

It wasn't until Carol stood next to her that the Cantrell family was aware that Rindy was over her shoulders. It wasn’t unusual for her to be quiet in the presence of Genevieve’s parents, mostly accustomed to the young woman’s presence in her life who was like another sister to her, more so now that Therese was trying to take a more responsible role with her. “Hello there, little girl.” It was Mr. Cantrell who broke the uncomfortable silence, looking up at Rindy.

“Hi.” She waved at them with a smile.

“I can’t believe you grew up so much since the last time I saw you,” he joked, making the girl laugh and the women smile.

Mrs. Cantrell took advantage that her husband was distracting Rindy to address Therese again. “Who’s your friend, dear?”

“Oh, this is Carol.” There was recognition in the woman’s eyes, and even the man paused his conversation with Rindy to look at them. Undoubtedly their daughter had mentioned her at some point.

“So, you are the famous Carol.” The woman’s eyes went up and down, assessing her. Therese sharply looked at Genevieve, who looked away from her friend, looking slightly torn.

“Guilty as charged,” Carol answered, hoping to sound more polite than amused. There was a part of her that found the others’ reactions endearing because it was clear they were only looking out for Therese and Rindy but she was also concerned by the way Therese would take it, not wanting this to ruin their day.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said sincerely though her eyes narrowed imperceptibly.

“Likewise.” She smiled.

“Well dear, we are going to leave you to enjoy your day.” She placed a hand on her husband’s arm to call his attention. Therese walked towards them to give them a quick hug as farewell, even to Genevieve, a hug that lasted longer since they were exchanging some words.

Once Therese was next to Carol, they looked at the Cantrells disappearing into the crowd. “Your friend is angry with you.”

“Yup,” she answered even when it wasn’t a question. She hadn’t needed to hear Genevieve whispering in her ear that she better have a good excuse for all of her lying.

“I’m sorry about that.” There was sincere remorse in her voice.

Therese looked at Carol. “You have nothing to apologize for, you are not the one who hid things from her.”

“But I’m the reason why you hid things.” The last thing she wanted was to cause bad things in the young woman’s life.

“That might be true but it was me who decided to handle it in this way. And Gen is incapable of staying angry with me for a long time, I’m too adorable,” she joked, wanting to lighten the mood. Carol laughed but she still looked a little uncertain, making Therese reach for her hand, lacing their fingers together. “I don’t regret it, Carol – I would do everything exactly in the same way just to get to spend some alone time with you.” Therese felt mesmerized by the way Carol was looking at her, her gray eyes intensely sparkling with a myriad of emotions but someone spoke before she had the chance to ponder what it could mean.

“Are we going to stand here the whole time?” Rindy asked with a whine. She had tried to be patient but she couldn’t bear it anymore when there were many rides to go on.

The women blinked as they returned to reality, remembering where they were and what they were doing there. They laughed, Therese blushing as Carol turned her head a little, lifting her eyes to look at Rindy, apologizing for making her wait. Therese, who was still holding the other woman’s hand, tugged softly once Carol looked back at her with a tender smile, which she reciprocated though it grew bigger when Rindy made an excited noise once they began to move towards the fun.

Their first stop was to the carousel that was right in the middle of everything. Rindy was adamant about wanting to ride every ride as long as her height allowed it. Therese didn’t feel left aside when her sister asked Carol to go with her, even when the woman said the three could sit together in one of the seats for four people, but Rindy wanted to be on a horse. Therese was okay with only watching them, taking her cell phone to record the moment when the ride started – capturing the way Carol made her sister laugh, the woman smiling wide as reaction before she said something else and Rindy turned in Therese’s direction to wave at her, Carol wrapping an arm around her waist just to avoid any scare.

For the next attraction, Therese was able to join them, Rindy always wanting to be between the two women and her elated screams of joy increased after every ride, always dragging a laugh from them. “Is she always like this?” Carol asked after they came down off the Tea Cups.

Therese shook her head, reaching to stabilize her sister, who was slightly dizzy but laughing. “Not really, she enjoys them but not this much.” She looked at Carol, holding Rindy’s hand just in case. “I think she _is_ trying to impress _you_ ,” she said with a smirk.

Going to the Haunted House was the proof to confirm Therese’s words because never before Rindy had wanted to go there and not even Carol’s or Therese’s attempts to take her to a different changed the girl’s mind, though Therese wasn’t sure if being in Carol’s arms with her face buried against the woman’s neck could really count. In Therese’s case, she had been so distracted to see Carol reassuring the little girl as they walked between the poor illuminated rooms that she wasn’t fully aware of her surroundings and she ended up jumping and screaming when a person appeared very close to her out of nowhere, making her hang onto Carol’s arm with both of hers for the rest of the way. Therese couldn’t help but see it as a gain even when Carol chuckled at her reaction before she intertwined their fingers.

Afterwards, Carol, who was still carrying Rindy with one arm as she kept holding Therese’s hand with the other, only letting it go after arriving to the place she wanted to go, wanted to relax them so she took them to a game stall of darts to try to win a plush monkey bigger than Rindy for her. The little girl’s eyes widened with astonishment as she looked at the gift Carol was placing in front of her with a smile. Then she looked at the woman, too overwhelmed by the unexpectancy of the gesture that she couldn’t react until she launched forward to wrap her arms around Carol’s waist, saying thank you over and over. Carol didn’t answer, placing a hand over against the girl’s head, her fingers tenderly stroking the dark blonde strands.

When Rindy released her in order to hug her huge present, Carol got closer to Therese, whispering to her, “Don’t worry, I’m going to win something for you too.” She stole a quick kiss from her before Therese could even react, leaving her with a silly smile on her lips, her heart racing, thinking that this might be the best day of her life.

Minutes later, Carol had to go back to the car to leave the oversized monkey and a normal teddy bear dressed like an angel so they could resume Rindy’s task to ride every possible attraction.

 

* * *

 

“You really think you are different than the others?” Therese startled at the unexpected voice as she stepped out of the toilet booth, sharply turning around to face Abby who was leaning against a wall with her arms crossed. Therese wouldn't ever admit it out loud but she found the woman intimidating, even more so when she was alone with her. Perhaps she should have accepted Carol’s offer to accompany her when she told her she was going to the bathroom. “You think that Carol is going to suddenly turn her life upside down because of you to play house?” Abby continued when there was no answer.

Therese’s breath quickened with apprehension since she couldn’t avoid everything she worried about now that it was thrown in her face. She cleared her throat as she walked towards the sink to wash her hands. “I’m not asking anything from her.”

“You don’t need to. It’s more than enough to look at you.” She uncrossed her arms, walking towards her. There was nothing threatening about her but Therese glanced at the door, wishing to run. “Deep down you want what Carol can’t give to you. You want to be the one who makes a difference. You want to believe that perhaps you can make her fall for you in the way you fell for her.”

Therese pursed her lips, her hands clenching against the marble, knuckles turning white. “I’m not- that’s not-” but even trying to lie was in vain.

“I’m not trying to be mean, Therese,” she said sincerely. “But the truth is is that you two are so different that even though you two are so smitten with each other, it won’t last once reality gets in the way. Once Carol needs to be free. And I wonder if you, someone who needs stability because someone depends on you, would be okay whenever she has the need to leave for awhile.”

Therese knew she wouldn’t. She had tried so hard to fight against her common sense for this very reason, because Carol made her way into her heart so damn quickly and any possible outcome only pointed to her own heartbreak because she couldn’t see how they could work, so she had tried to convince herself that she was okay with a fling, trying to deceive herself because she couldn’t ask Carol to be something she wasn’t when she had fallen for who she was. Therese had taken the wrong decision to have a little instead of nothing, and she knew that sooner rather than later she would pay the consequences. Besides, the fact that it was Abby who was saying all this made it harder to think of the possibility of a different outcome because she was Carol’s friend, someone who knew her far better than Therese.

“Thanks for your input,” Therese said softly after a moment, drying her hands with a piece of paper. “But you are not telling me anything I didn’t already know.” She forced a smile, making eye contact with a flabbergasted Abby before leaving the bathroom.

However, once alone, she searched for a semi-hidden and dark corner, where she leaned against the wall, closing her eyes as a soft sob escaped from her mouth. She should have known that her perfect day wasn’t going to last. She took a few minutes to compose herself, not wanting to give Carol any sign of what was going on nor ruining Rindy’s fun and when she felt ready, she went back to find them. They were in the place she had left them, sitting on a picnic table sharing a cotton candy that Carol bought for herself – the woman’s head was bending over Rindy’s, to be close to hear whatever the little girl was saying.

Therese’s lower lip quivered at the lovely image but she took a deep breath to calm herself before making the rest of the way. Carol lifted her head first, sensing her presence and she smiled at her, frowning when Therese smiled back but the gesture didn’t reach her eyes as usual. “Everything okay?” she whispered when the young woman sat next to Rindy.

Therese nodded, kissing her sister’s head, needing to cling to what was real. “There was a line and for some reason people always gets chatty while it lasts.” It was half the truth, after all.

Carol didn’t ask but she could imagine what people were saying to her, perhaps interrogating because they had been observed pretty often. She hadn’t cared at all, only interested in her companions but she imagined it was different for Therese because these were people she had known for most of her life. Rindy tried to stifle a yawn at that moment, distracting her from her thoughts but her tiredness was more than obvious when she rested her head against Carol’s arm, rubbing her eyes with one hand. The woman reacted naturally, taking her in her arms.

Therese had a glimpse of the moment, lowering her gaze right away before being completely ruined by it. “I think it’s time for us to go. It’s past her bedtime.” Though she was on vacation, she had never been awake for so long.

Carol nodded, standing up and making her way to the car with Therese next to her. “It’s your turn to drive,” she said once they reached the vehicle because Rindy whined when Carol attempted to release her to place her in the back seat.

Therese smiled resignedly, taking the keys, watching Carol get inside with her sister still in her arms. She softly closed the door behind them, her smile disappearing once she did it, feeling the dread crawling up her body at what she would have to do.

 

* * *

 

After getting out of the car, Therese walked to open the door of the backseat for Carol, who carefully stepped out without disturbing the sleeping girl in her arms, whose head was on her shoulder and an arm over the other. “I’m sorry she took you as a walking bed,” Therese whispered as they headed to the house.

“It’s okay, I’m glad she feels comfortable with me.” Once they were inside, Carol waited for Therese to close the door before she guided her to Rindy’s bedroom.

She didn’t pay attention to her surroundings as they walked, wanting to give the little girl more comfort. Therese waited, resting against the doorframe, watching how Carol laid down her sister with finesse on her bed before covering her with the blankets. She felt her eyes filling with tears – now that her heart had been cracked thanks to Abby’s words, every gesture that caused her heart to swell with love, hurt terribly, threatening to shatter it into pieces. When Carol turned around to look at her, she had her eyes closed, and the woman took as a gesture of tiredness and nothing else.

Carol noiselessly moved until she was standing in front of Therese, who could feel the warmth of her body so close to her but it was only when Carol spoke that she opened her eyes. “I better leave so you can rest too.” She caressed the young woman’s cheek with the back of her fingers.

Therese looked at her deeply, knowing what she had to do but she wanted to be selfish one last time. She knew that she needed to give up on this and she would do it, but if she only had this last time, she would make the most of it. Standing on her tiptoes, Therese cupped Carol’s face before kissing her with passion, making the other woman gasp against her mouth before reciprocating the action as her arms wrapped around the young woman’s waist. Remembering where they were, Therese moved away but there was decisiveness when her eyes locked with Carol’s before taking her hand, walking towards her bedroom after closing Rindy’s door, every step feeling like a stab to her heart because it was a step closer to the end.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much, Ligeria!

_**Sunday** _

Therese managed to free herself from the warm and secure cocoon that Carol’s arms were able to create around her without waking her up, not looking back as she made her way out of the room. She headed decisively to the phone in the living room to call Genevieve before she had the chance to change her mind. As she waited for the call to connect, she felt nervous, knowing that her friend wouldn’t have the best attitude towards her but there was no one else so she had to resort to this. Dannie wasn’t even an option because he was terribly awkward when it came to something like this.

“Can you come to pick up Rindy?” Therese asked the moment she heard Genevieve’s voice on the other end before chickening out.

There was a pause. _“So you can fuck that woman without any interruptions?”_ There was a clear reproach in her tone.

Therese closed her eyes, knowing she deserved it but it still hurt. Everything hurt at the moment. “Look, I’m going to explain everything to you afterward but right now I need you to do this for me, please.”

_“Therese…”_

“I’m going to end it, Gen,” she said weakly. “And I don’t want Rindy to be in the house when that happens.”

Silence followed a heavy sigh. _“What time do you want me to pick her up?”_

“I will send you a message when she’s ready, okay?” Genevieve growled as affirmation. “I- thank you. I know you are angry with me and we will talk soon. I just … I had to-”

 _“You don’t need to explain yourself, Therese, at least not_ right now.” She snorted, making her feel a little better.

Rindy woke up as she was saying goodbye to Genevieve. Therese went to prepare her for her unexpected departure, trying to keep her quiet to not awaken Carol but it was a little tricky as her sister couldn’t stop gushing about the previous day and the woman who had been with them. She inwardly cursed herself for her stupidity, hoping that she would still be able to avoid a terrible damage. Rindy didn’t look very happy when Therese told her that she was going to leave with Genevieve for a little while, using her job as an excuse, promising to make it up to her.

Genevieve didn’t say a word to her once they were face to face beyond the polite greetings though when she and Rindy were leaving, she looked back at Therese, giving her an intimidating look that made Therese roll her eyes, feeling amused at her attempt to look stern. Once ‘alone’, she went to the kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee. She moved to the living room to wait for Carol, knowing that the first thing the woman would see after stepping out of the room would be in that direction.

Therese was looking out the window, the coffee tasting bitter in her mouth. She was trying to think of the best way to start a conversation she didn’t want to have, though she knew she couldn’t keep living in this fantasy, not when there was the potential risk that her sister could be hurt, even if not on purpose. Because if it was only her, if she could have a confirmation that Rindy could come out unscathed, she could manage to live with a broken heart once Carol left, but it wasn't fair for the little girl that she was involved in something that didn’t have a future. Lost in her thoughts, Therese was curling a strand of hair around her index finger, hastily stopping once she realized what she was doing because it was a gesture that Carol did when they were snuggling against each other after having sex.

Therese’s heart stopped when she heard the door of her bedroom open slowly. “Hey.” Carol was rubbing her eyes with one hand, already dressed in her clothes with the exception of her jacket, sleepiness clear in every gesture but the tender smile she gave her once Therese dared to look at her, almost made her lose her mind. “It’s so quiet in here.” She looked around.

“Rindy is not here,” she explained, looking away from Carol.

“Oh?” There was surprise in her tone. “Is everything okay?” She hesitantly sat on the individual couch that was at Therese’s right.

Therese closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. “Carol …” she gulped, feeling her stomach lurching. “I think-” She cut herself off. She couldn’t say it as if she was in doubt ─ this was the decision she had made, a reasonable one. She took another deep breath, adopting her professional persona. “It’s time to end this,” she said determinedly, still without looking at her but she could feel the way Carol tensed, all the atmosphere around them changing.

“Why?” There was the slightest edge in her tone under the confusion.

“Because I made a mistake when I made Rindy part of it.” Not giving Carol the chance to defend her position, to tell her that it wasn’t a mistake because all her ideals had been changing since she laid her eyes on them, Therese kept talking. “We both knew this was never something serious. I was okay with that; if not, nothing would have happened between us but I didn’t count on the fact that Rindy would be drawn to you too.” She rested her head on the back of the couch, her head turning in Carol’s direction but she still refused to make eye contact. “I understand how things are, I understand that this was never meant to last but Rindy doesn’t and I simply won’t put her in a position where she can end up hurt.”

Carol wanted to say something, to let Therese know how wrong she was but the way the young woman was referring to what they had experienced as if it meant absolutely nothing beyond a good lay, made her keep her mouth shut. She had the surreal sensation that this wasn’t really happening, that perhaps she was still in the bed sleeping. How could it be possible that something so wonderful was heading down so suddenly? So many times during her stay, she had been seriously contemplating making it something more permanent, thinking that she wasn’t the only one developing such unexpected feelings, but apparently, she had been wrong. The fact that Therese wouldn't even dare to look at her made Carol feel like she was someone unimportant, undeserving of the other’s woman attention.

“You didn’t make this decision today, did you?” When Therese lowered her head, ashamed, Carol laughed humorlessly. Now it made sense why Therese had refused to turn the lights on when they reached her bedroom, afraid that she could read her and she would lose her last chance. She had to bite her tongue to not say the cruelest things that were gathering in her throat, wanting to cause some sort of pain to help her ignore the one she was feeling.

“You and I are so different, Carol,” Therese added with a low voice, not able to stand the silence that was suffocating them. She was trying to show the regret she felt at the fact that they weren't meant to be but for Carol, the words sounded deprecating.

She sharply stood up, frowning angrily. “Well, I suppose I should thank you for the sex at least.” It was then that Therese finally looked at her, surprised by the sudden outburst and the crude words. “And for the fact that someone like _you_ lost her valuable time with someone like _me_.” Therese tried to interrupt her, saying her name. “No, I get it. Loud and clear.” She walked towards the front door, not caring to go back for her jacket. “I have to hand it to you, you were so good at deceiving me into believing that you wanted to spend alone time with me when the truth was that you were ashamed of me,” she said even when the previous day had proved otherwise but right now, she could only think that it had been a sacrifice made only on Rindy’s behalf.

Therese stood up when Carol slammed the front door behind her. The only thing on her mind was to clear any misunderstanding but when she reached the door, her hand grasping the knob, she didn’t open it. What was the point when this was exactly what she wanted? Her intention wasn’t to leave Carol thinking that she used her to her advantage but the outcome was a clear cut once and for all, which was what she had been looking for. Shaking slightly, she heard the motorcycle engine start before drifting off into silence, causing her to close her eyes as she rested her forehead against the door, thinking that this was it.

In record time, she had shattered to pieces the only relationship that had ever meant something to her. She supposed it was fair that it ended in the same span of time it had started: unexpectedly and quickly.

 

* * *

 

Genevieve had every intention to not let Therese go this time. Even when her friend promised her she was going to talk with her once she took Rindy back, she was prepared to push for answers. She even bought Rindy a new video game just to keep her distracted so they could talk. However, when Therese opened the door, her eyes clearly puffy and red though she managed to smile brightly at her sister, Genevieve wasn’t sure how to proceed but it was Therese who took the first step, wanting to keep her promise, not wanting to fail her best friend one more time. After leaving Rindy playing in the living room, Therese made a gesture to her friend so they moved to the kitchen.

Neither woman said a word as they sat. Therese rubbed her face with her hands, wondering where she should start but Genevieve had a question she needed to be answered before anything else. “You fell in love with her, aren’t you?”

Therese parted her lips, not really surprised by the question because she was in front of someone who had known her during her entire life. If there was someone who could see something different in her, it was Genevieve. She laughed sadly. “It’s stupid, I know … from the very beginning, I knew there wasn’t any chance for us, that this was nothing but a fling and still …” She sniffed.

“It’s not like you can avoid feeling when it’s meant to happen.” She placed her hand over Therese’s, squeezing softly. “I’m not upset that you like her ─ come on, Therese, I have eyes and she’s not only a stunning woman but she seems very interesting.” Her friend half-smiled. “What upset me was that you didn’t tell me. It felt like you didn’t trust me enough to share something that clearly mattered to you.”

“I know that and I’m sorry. But Gen, that had nothing to do with it, I trust you but there were several reasons why I didn’t tell you and neither was because of you. It was the simple fact of not seeing the point of doing it. First, because I never expected this would happen, that she would become this important to me … even afterward … there was no reason because there was no future for this. Telling you,” her voice cracked a little, “was going to make it more real and I was trying to avoid that, but yesterday …” She ran her hand through her hair. “I made a terrible mistake because I saw everything I want but can’t have.”

Genevieve pursed her lips sadly, seeing how the tears gathered in her friend’s eyes. “Are you sure of that at least? I mean … did you guys have the chance to talk between all the swap of fluids?”

Saying that got the reaction Genevieve was looking for. Therese wasn’t looking sad anymore; instead, a complete expression of shock had moved across her features. “Oh my god! Do you have to be so crude?!”

“Since you have known me for years, you know the answer is yes.” She smiled when Therese wrinkled her nose but then a thought crossed her mind that caused her to narrow her eyes. “Please tell me that there was some kind of swapping because if you didn’t-”

“I’m begging you to stop.” Her face was in her hands again. “Right now I wish you would have stayed mad at me instead of having this conversation.”

Genevieve laughed. “Fine, I’m going to stop, let’s get back to the serious and sad. So … are you sure there isn't a chance for you two?”

“Gen, come on.” She sighed tiredly. “You had a glimpse of her lifestyle — people like her love her freedom and wouldn’t change it for a boring, family life.” Besides, after learning about Carol’s past, there was no chance she would want to have a relationship that involved a serious commitment.

“That might be true, but when a person falls in love …” She shrugged, knowing that she didn’t need to say more for her friend to understand.

 

* * *

 

A couple of days later, Therese thought she was slowly getting back to what her life was before Carol appeared in it. Genevieve’s words weren’t haunting her as her friend probably expected, especially when she found out that Carol had left town ─ she took it as confirmation that, even when she was trying to give her some sort of hope, her friend was wrong. Carol wasn’t in love with her and it was clear once she left after Therese ended things with her instead of trying to fight for them ─ always seeming to forget that she, someone who admitted to being in love, had been the one pushing her away. Focusing on Rindy made things easier for her. She was so completely distracted by that little ball of energy that she didn’t have much time to think about the other woman.

“Tee?” She was wrapped in a towel, following her sister into the house after being outside playing in the pool. She was looking down at the floor, seeing the drops of water falling.

“What is it?” She worriedly looked at her sister because she sounded ... heartbroken.

“Why doesn't Carol come over anymore?” She raised her head, her lips curving down a bit.

Therese felt as if someone punched her right in the stomach, leaving her without air. “Umm.” She sat on the couch, licking her lips, trying to come up with a good excuse but she didn’t want to lie to her. “She had to leave, Rindy.”

“You mean she’s never coming back?” Her lower lip trembled.

Therese felt the tears in her eyes and she looked down. This was what she had been trying to avoid when she ended things with Carol, believing that she was still in time to prevent any kind of pain to her sister but apparently, she wasn’t the only person Carol had managed to captivate so quickly. “I don’t think so, baby,” she said in a lower voice, taking Rindy’s hand to pull her towards her.

“But why?” She frowned adorably.

“She doesn’t live here. At some point, she had to leave.”

“Oh.” Rindy’s gaze diverted from her sister’s. “I thought …”

“What?” she questioned when the girl stopped talking, brushing away the wet hair that was falling over her forehead, thinking that a haircut was necessary.

“I thought she liked us enough to stay,” she whispered, a stubborn tear falling from one eye.

Therese’s heart broke in that moment. It was so damn ironic that in her attempt to avoid any kind of suffering, she was the one who brought it to them. “Rindy …” She took a deep breath, clearing her throat when her voice wavered, her hand slightly shaking when she moved to wipe away her sister’s tear. “Carol likes you, a lot – that has nothing to do with the fact she had to leave. She has her own life.” Rindy still looked unconvinced. “Remember when I had to leave for college? I didn’t want to leave but I had to do it in order to build my future.”

“But I asked you to not leave and you stayed. Maybe if I had asked her, she would have stayed?”

Therese pursed her lips. What Rindy was saying was true but that happened after her parents’ death. The little girl did not fully grasp that there was no other option for her. Though there wasn’t any resentment on Therese’s part, she sometimes wondered what she would have done if she would have had two options to choose from. “Rindy … this is different. You can’t expect Carol to change her life entirely only for us.”

“But she told me that we made her happy! And she made me happy and you! I could see you smiling all the time when she was around and now you barely do it,” she said stubbornly.

Therese embraced her sister when she felt the tears escaping from her eyes, not wanting Rindy to see them. She also didn’t want to be the one, at least not when she was still so young, telling her that life wasn’t fair and things didn’t work out only because it was something you wanted. “I smile whenever I’m with you,” she whispered, desperately trying to change the subject.

Rindy sighed deeply, hugging her sister back. “I wish she would have stayed.”

Therese wiped her tears away without breaking the hug. “I know, monkey, I know.” She smiled weakly at the little girl, not daring to tell her that this situation was her fault. It was enough to deal with Carol’s absence to add an upset Rindy with her because of it. “Go take a shower.”

When Rindy disappeared, Therese closed her eyes in dismay. She had screwed up so badly ─ hurting Carol by not clarifying the misunderstanding, letting her go with the idea that she was someone meaningless to her when in reality she, along with her sister, was everything for her, and now by realizing that she was hurting Rindy by pushing away the woman that had stolen their hearts. The fact that she was the only one to blame for this mess made everything worse because the last thing she had wanted was to hurt any of them.

The rest of the day was hard to bear since the gloomy atmosphere didn’t leave the house, not even when Therese tried so hard to do it by doing all the things she knew Rindy loved but this time not even her video games were able to make a change. Therese sighed tiredly when she entered her bedroom after leaving Rindy in hers to sleep. She sat on the edge of the bed, not turning on the lights, and rested her elbows on her knees as she rubbed her forehead with her fingers. She prayed that Rindy’s current mood wouldn't last long because she wouldn’t know what she would do if it did.

Maybe calling Carol was the best idea but this was a mess of her own creation and she didn’t want to make the woman part of it, especially when there was the likelihood that she was still angry with her. Besides, Therese might have been the one making a mistake letting Carol go with the wrong idea but she wasn’t entirely sure that things would be different if she had spoken the truth, that Carol would have given up everything just to stay with them. Now, after everything it happened, Therese simply refused to put her on the horns of a dilemma because Carol was a good person who had already sacrificed her own desires to satisfy another person’s and Therese didn’t doubt that she would do it once again for Rindy’s behalf.

Sighing again, she decided to forget about this, if only for the night. Therese reached to turn on the lamp of the nightstand. Her eyes immediately found the rose Carol had given her but when she noticed that some petals, now wilted, rested over the furniture, fresh tears started to fall down her cheeks.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this time it's my fault that you guys had to wait for this chapter [runs and hide]
> 
> Thank you so much, Ligeria!

_**A week later** _

Carol was frowning as she looked at her cell phone, her thumb sliding to the side to sift through the pictures. She wasn’t sure if what was bothering her was what she was seeing or the fact of having a woman straddling her lap, peppering kisses on her neck. The previous week had been a nightmare. She and Abby had left Patřít the same day her argument with Therese occurred. Carol had decided to leave even without Abby but her friend was stepping out of her room when the irritated woman was placing her belongings on her bike. It only took one look for Abby to get it without needing to ask.

Carol rode without any destination in mind, needing to put distance between her and the place that had filled her with so much joy that had now turned into pain. She stopped at the first bar she saw when she was satisfied with the traveled distance, wanting to drown herself in alcohol to erase any memory that had been graven in her the last days. She was desperate to turn them into something as meaningless as the person that helped to create them had made her feel. It became her routine for the following days: drinking until she was unfit to walk on her own to her room and Abby had to help her.

Abby didn’t ask any questions, the perfect person to play along with Carol’s intention to pretend that what she had lived in that place never happened. She didn’t mentioned a thing whenever someone interested in Carol invited her to have a drink with the hopes of more, only to be rejected. For Carol, her friend’s attitude was out of character but it was relaxing to have the full control of the way she was trying to deal with this without any unwanted input. It wasn't until today when Carol thought she was ready for that. When she noticed a woman looking at her, this time she didn’t hesitate to go to her, inviting her to have a drink, effortlessly getting her full devotion.

But a nagging sensation was growing stronger after every second in the woman’s presence. In an attempt to distract herself from it, Carol reached for her cell phone, freezing when she saw the picture of a smiling Therese. In her intoxicated state of the previous days, she had stupidly forgotten (at least it had worked but she couldn’t see the victory in that moment) about the fact that the device was full of pictures of the woman. Since she hadn’t needed it these last few days, she had let it run out of battery, only charging it today now that she was feeling more human.

Carol remembered vividly the day she took that picture. It was, in fact, the first one she had taken of Therese, after the first time they kissed. Without thinking, her finger clicked the icon that would take her to her pictures, feeling as if her heart was painfully squeezed once she opened one and she started to go through the rest. After that, it became simply impossible to keep pretending that this was what she wanted. That the hands that were touching her or the lips that were kissing her or the body she was holding were the ones she wanted.

“Stand up,” Carol growled to the woman she couldn’t even remember her name of.

The redhead looked at her, a kittenish smile appearing on her lips, thinking that they were going to move to a more private place to continue with this. However, when Carol stood up, she walked next to the woman as if she didn’t exist, not giving any kind of gesture to be followed. The offended woman started to complain about it out loud, drawing the attention of the other patrons, including Abby who had been playing darts with a group of young women. She apologized to them before following her friend who was reaching the door of the bar they were in.

“Where are you going?” Abby asked once she was outside, hoping that her voice was enough to make Carol stop so she could reach her.

Carol didn’t stop but she slowed down. “To my room.”

“Alone?” She was confused.

“Unless invisible people are actually a thing I’m not aware of, yes Abby, alone,” she replied with annoyed sarcasm.

“But you were-” she nibbled her bottom lip. “I thought you were having a good time with her.”

Carol looked at her, raising an eyebrow. “You are as perceptive as she is if you think I was into her.”

There was a pregnant silence. “How long will this last, Carol?”

That made her stop, turning her body so she could stand in front of Abby. “I’m sorry if I’m turning out to be an inconvenience for you, Abby.” She frowned. “Go back and fuck one of those girls – don’t worry about me.”

“It’s not about that, Carol. It's that you don’t let me in and I have no idea how to fucking help you.” She furrowed her eyebrows. “You think I like to see you like this?”

Carol closed her eyes, sighing deeply. There was a part of her that needed to talk about it, to vent in the hope that it would help her move forward but she didn’t think that Abby was the best person to do it with the kind of mentality she had. “You won’t get it,” she finally said, turning her head to look at the road.

Trying to not feel too offended by the words, she stepped closer to Carol. “Does it has to do with Therese?” she asked cautiously.

Carol inwardly laughed. There was the Abby she knew, pushing to know all the answers. She hugged herself in a protective gesture, scrutinizing her friend. Abby was trying to conceal her worry and Carol couldn’t help but feel guilty. These last two weeks, she had been acting in a way that wasn’t normal for her friend, who sincerely cared for her. “I fell in love with her, okay?” she finally yielded. “And before you say something about it, I know what you think … people like us don’t have the opportunity to find love outside our circle. In this situation, you were right.” She didn’t see the way Abby cringed uncomfortably.

“Carol …”

“I just need a little time, Abby, okay? This is the first time I actually fell in love … it was silly to think she felt the same but I will get it over eventually.” At the moment it felt like she was telling a lie.

“She told you that?” She scowled, not quite believing it. She had seen it in Therese, that was why she had felt the need to warn her.

“She didn’t have to. She ended things and told me we were very different.” She shrugged as if it hadn’t broken her heart.

“Fuck,” Abby said in a breath. “Carol …” She shifted her weight from one leg to the other, in a very unsettling and unusual way that made her friend narrow her eyes. “I think … that might be my fault.”

The fact that the woman in front of her appeared to feel really guilty made Carol apprehensive. “What are you talking about?”

“Look.” Abby raised her arms in a defeated gesture. “I swear I didn’t do it because I wanted to ruin things for you two.” She felt a little nervous when Carol frowned, clenching her jaw with anger. “If only you had been honest with me …” She frown once again, slightly hurt.

“Oh please! If I had told you the truth, you would have done nothing but tell me that it wasn’t real. That I was confusing feeling horny with love.” There was a flash of hurt in her friend’s face that made Carol take a deep breath. “You are my best friend and I’m saying this with love: you are terrible when it comes to the matters of the heart because you live with this idea that love is not for people like us, as if it is some sort of weakness.” Abby opened her mouth to protest but Carol didn’t give her the chance. “How did you react when Alana told us that she wasn’t going to stick with us after meeting some man when we were in Los Angeles?” She raised an eyebrow. “You mocked her, telling her that in less than a week she was going to be calling us to ask where we were so she could join us again. Or when Jeanette introduced us to her partner and you said it wouldn’t last beyond that night.”

“Is that what everyone thinks of me?” Carol couldn’t help but feel bad at her unhappy expression.

“Abby, you are who you are and sometimes that attitude is what we really need.” She placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing. “But when we start to develop an interest that goes beyond a simple attraction, you are not the person someone wants to go to talk about it because you lack a filter in your opinions. You act like it is stupid to feel this way.” Abby sighed deeply, lowering her head. “Look, I respect that you have your own ideas but you have to understand and accept that not everyone agrees with them.” Carol knew why it was hard for the woman to accept it. For Abby, this group was everything and she treated any change like a threat instead of seeing it as something good.

“I don’t want to lose my family, Carol,” she admitted in a low voice.

“You are going to lose it if you keep acting like an insensitive idiot that I know you are not. You act like one but you are not.” She smiled softly when Abby looked at her with narrowed eyes. “You are not going to lose us. Look how things worked out with Jeanette – we got another person in our group. Alana left, yeah, but that doesn’t mean we are never going to see her again.”

“But you … if things with Therese work out, you are going to leave.” It was surprising that this badass woman could look like a vulnerable child at the moment.

“Abby, you are part of my family and that will never change, but I don’t think it’s bad to add more people to our circle when it feels right.” She smiled softly but it suddenly vanished. “But before even contemplating that idea, you need to tell me what you did to see if I still have any chance to fix it.”

Carol couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed when Abby explained what happened ─ annoyed with Abby because she didn’t have any right to meddle in this, annoyed with Therese for believing it when every action proved something different and annoyed with herself for not daring to voice her feelings from the moment she started to feel them. “Quite ironic that you saw developing feelings in her and not in me.” Though Abby could be wrong ─ if she hadn’t been able to recognize it in her, who had them, perhaps her friend had confused the young woman’s emotions.

Abby shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable, apologizing and even when she was sincere, she felt like it wasn’t enough. “I would be willing to go and talk to her if you want,” she added when Carol didn’t say a word for what felt like an eternity.

“No, that’s okay.” She pressed the bridge of her nose with her index finger and thumb, closing her eyes for a moment. “You might be the one unable to keep your mouth shut but I’m also at fault for not being direct with her since the very beginning.”

Abby scrutinized her friend, who was looking at the road with contemplation, supposing that Carol would wait until tomorrow to leave, which why she felt surprised when she headed to where her bike was. “Are you going to go right now?!”

“I’m pathetically in love, Abby and it’s been a week without seeing her. What do you think?” Carol smiled at her, putting her helmet on, not wanting to think too much about the possibility that there wasn’t a chance for them.

“Let me know how it goes, then.” She winked at Carol when she turned to give her one last look, not wishing her good luck, knowing she wasn’t going to need it.

 

* * *

 

 _I’m ridiculous_ , Therese thought as she took Carol’s forgotten jacket and put it on as she had been doing the past week after Rindy was in bed. She had seen it the same day Carol had left. It was hard not to when it was resting on the backrest of the vanity chair. That had been the moment she started to cry, unable to pretend to be strong after pushing away the woman she loved, taking the garment to throw it inside her closet. The very same day, at night, she had pulled it out, admiring it for a moment before wrapping herself in it, using it as a poor substitute for Carol’s presence.

If it wasn’t for her sister, her days would be full of nothingness. She had been living in a state that made her feel like Carol had taken away her ability to see the light in her days along with her. On the bright side, Rindy was back to her bubbly self though from time to time she mentioned Carol as if the woman was still part of their lives. However, that made things easier for Therese since she was the only one longing for Carol, just exactly as she wanted it to happen. She could stand her own suffering but not her sister’s.

Genevieve was spending a lot of time with them, giving Therese the chance to vent during the nights when they were alone because she was good at pretending everything was okay when Rindy was around but for the other woman, it was obvious that she missed Carol ─ Genevieve felt like an idiot for not seeing it before because that week when she was part of Therese’s life, her friend’s happiness was evident ─ and that it was affecting her in a way that Therese probably wasn’t even fully aware of.

Therese frowned when she was pulled out of her thoughts, her heart beating with nervousness when there was a knock on the front door. She looked at the watch on her wrist and, realizing it was past midnight, didn’t help to calm her. She didn't consider looking through the peephole, anxious to know who was on the other side, hoping that it wasn’t a bad news. Therese opened the door, feeling at once as if someone had thrown a bucket of frozen water at her when she saw who it was, before her stomach and heart fluttered in reaction to the emotions the unexpected visitor sparked.

Carol briefly looked at her with nervous uncertainty, her stance mirroring it but suddenly she frowned and she took out the thumbs from her back pockets to cross her arms. “You are an idiot.”

Therese was perplexed and it was hard to tell if it was for having in front of her the woman she sincerely didn’t expect to see ever again or for the words she said. “What?”

“How could you even believe what Abby said after the time we spent together?” she asked with indignation.

Opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water, Therese tried to shake away her dizziness for being in Carol’s presence again, trying to follow the trail of the conversation. “She didn’t put in my mind any thoughts that weren't there already, Carol.”

“That’s even worse, Therese! Because you were there, you were part of it and I know you were feeling the same as me,” she risked to say.

“Of course I felt it.” She frowned as Carol felt a wave of relief and thrill. “But that didn't mean the outcome was going to be any different.”

“You don’t know that because you didn’t give me a chance.” She took a step to get closer to Therese. “You didn’t let me tell you that every day I spend with you, instead of feeling my desire satisfied, I wanted more from you.” Another step. “You didn’t let me tell you that it wasn’t only a desire to touch you or to kiss you but to know how your day had been, to know everything about you.” Therese held her breath when Carol eliminated the distance between them. “You didn’t let me tell you that Rindy wasn’t a burden as you might believe but a very welcomed addition to the picture.” Carol took Therese’s chin with her fingers, raising her head to make eye contact. “You didn’t let me tell you that I was falling in love with you.”

Therese’s entire body shuddered at the confession and a soft whimper escaped from her lips. “Carol, I can’t ask you to give up on a life I know you love, that I know is your freedom for a life that is going to trap you.”

“I’m not giving up on anything. I’m making a choice of staying with you because that’s what I want ─ just like riding on the road was my choice a couple of years ago. The fact that traveling is not going to be my main priority anymore doesn’t mean that I’m never going to do it again or that I’m giving it up because I’m being forced to it. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be against the idea of traveling with me from time to time and when Rindy is a little older, perhaps she can come with us too.” She smiled at the hope she could see in the green eyes that were sparkling with unshed tears. “And I can’t be trapped when I’m the one making this decision, willingly, with my heart and my mind, completely sure that I want to stay here with you and Rindy and start a new life together, wanting to share everything with you two because nothing has ever felt more right that what I feel right now, Therese, for you and Rindy.” The sincere devotion in her voice was enough to cause goosebumps in the other woman.

It was almost too good to be true – Therese seriously thought that she was dreaming or perhaps hallucinating. She hadn’t been sleeping too well the previous days (two times sleeping in Carol’s arms and she had been ruined forever) and perhaps she was facing the consequences now. But Carol’s touch felt so damn real and familiar ─ the way her fingers slid over her jaw, touching her with a delicacy that made her feel so precious; the way her breath hit her skin when she got closer, the tip of her nose nuzzling her cheek, making clear the yearning the other woman felt for her, before placing a soft kiss on it, this time showing her affection. Therese trembled and melted in a way that not even the best dream could achieve.

“Don’t you know I love you?” Carol whispered, slightly anxious since she wasn’t getting an answer. That was Therese’s undoing. Her reaction worried Carol for a moment because she wasn’t able to keep the tears at bay any longer, but in the next second, she was wrapping her arms around her neck, tugging her down to kiss her with desperation. Carol hugged her by the waist, lifting her the slightest from the floor until they were breathless. Taking a deep breath, Carol rested her forehead against Therese’s, licking her lips contemplatively. “I truly hope that reaction was a yes and not some kind of goodbye kiss. I mean, the first time you gave me goodbye sex even if I didn’t know it back then so … if this is a goodbye, can it be like the first time?” She joked but she was only able to laugh when Therese did it first.

“It’s a yes.” She kissed her, this time softly, looking at her with enthrallment when they broke apart. “How could you even think it could be a no when this- _you_ are all I want? I love you, Carol,” she said passionately. “In less than a week you did what no one had done and it freaked me out how much I wanted you to be part of my life because even when I believed everything you told me about being different for you, I never thought it would be to a point that you would consider changing your life.”

“You are an idiot,” Carol repeated but this time with a sweet smile, her affection clear in her tone.

“That’s what they say it happens when you are in love, no? I’m just following the right path.” She shrugged adorably and Carol kissed her, one of her hands going to the back of her head to hold her close. Therese sighed happily into the kiss, pressing her body against the other woman.

“I should leave and come back tomorrow at a decent hour.” She wrinkled her nose before smiling sheepishly. “Sorry about that but I couldn’t wait any longer to see you.”

Therese didn’t answer, pouting at the prospect of Carol leaving, a few minutes weren’t enough after all these days apart, but then she smiled. Without a word, she took Carol’s hand at the time she turned around, facing the house. She tugged until she had Carol’s arm surrounding her waist, her chest clashing against her back. Therese shivered when the woman moved her hair to the side in order to kiss the back of her neck. “You are staying,” she said as she prompted them to walk into the house.

Carol’s eyebrows raised at the demanding tone but the reaction of her body to it (her free hand holding Therese’s hip as her own moved against her ass) wasn’t really surprising. “Am I?”

Turning around without breaking contact, Therese nodded once she was looking at her. “I’m not the only one who is going to be ecstatic to see you.” She beamed when Carol smiled happily at the words.

After a kiss, Therese pulled away, knowing that if they kept going like this, they would never stop, staying in front of the house until who knows when. Carol closed the door after her and only in that moment she noticed, too focused on fixing things between them at first. “You are wearing my jacket.”

Therese, who was heading to the kitchen, stopped, revealing a soft blush covering her cheeks when she faced Carol. “Umm, yeah, I-” She suddenly felt like she had been acting like a schoolgirl. “It’s silly I know, but I was missing you and the fact that the rose you gave me, withered, didn’t help at all ─ I felt like what we experienced was vanishing and-”

Carol interrupted her by taking her face in her hands, her thumbs stroking her lips. “I wasn’t looking for an explanation, darling. I think it’s quite lovely.” She smiled provocatively. “And I and my things are yours to do as you please.” Therese closed her eyes, biting her lower lip in an attempt to contain her desire. “I missed you too. These last few days were torture.” Their arms snaked over the other’s body until they were fused in a tight hug.

Carol knew she needed to talk with Therese about it; she actually wanted to do it because she didn’t want that any lack of communication between them to get in the way like before, wanting to prove how committed she was to this, to them. Carol followed the young woman with her eyes when they pulled apart until she disappeared into the kitchen, asking if she wanted something as if she also agreed that they needed to talk. She looked around for a moment, taking into consideration her surroundings for the first time. She smiled at the extraordinary sensation of belonging that the place was giving her before walking towards the kitchen to join the person that was responsible for that.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never saw you coming ... but god, I'm so very glad you happened, making me realize I was wrong in so many things <3
> 
> We have reached this point once again and as always, I want to wholeheartedly thank to each one of you for doing this ride with me. It's always the best feeling to see the familiar faces and the new ones coming out from the shadows to share their opinion, and knowing that even if you don't comment you are there reading and kudoing, showing your support and appreciation in every possible way. You guys made my day everytime I posted a chapter.
> 
> Thank you so much, Ligeria!

Rindy sauntered out of her room towards Therese’s, trying, unsuccessfully, to contain a yawn. It was strange that she awoke with the house completely in silence, used to her sister walking from one place to another to get ready for the day. Even when she was on vacation like right now, Therese was always already in motion when Rindy awoke. The little girl frowned when she saw her sister’s bedroom empty, feeling momentarily worried when she thought that Therese had left but that idea quickly disappeared because she would never do that to her ─ when the woman indeed needed to leave before time, she always told Rindy about it, even if that meant to wake her up to tell her.

Scratching her head in confusion, Rindy tuned her hearing in hopes of hearing something as she walked to the kitchen. There was a pair of cups and plates which was uncommon because Therese never went to sleep before cleaning and she always waited for Rindy to have breakfast. But there was no one in there either. Sighing dramatically, she turned, heading back to her bedroom to put her shoes on, deciding to check on the backyard but as she walked through the living room, she caught movement with the corner of her eye.

Rindy felt a wave of relief when she saw her sister was sleeping on the couch. But once she was fully calmed, she noticed that in fact, half of her body was over another one. The little girl frowned, stepping closer without making a sound, trying to discover the identity of the other person. But when she saw who it was, she couldn’t contain herself. “Carol!”

Therese startled at the unexpected and excited scream, her eyes flying open as she lost her balance, almost falling off the couch but Carol’s reflexes made her tighten her arms around her, even when she also was awakened all of a sudden. “Monkey, inner voice for a moment, please,” Therese pleaded when Rindy kept jumping up and down in her spot, filling the room with exhilarated screams of _“you are here, you came back”_ as she slowly moved away from Carol who was trying to blink away the sleepiness.

They had barely slept, speaking until the sun came up about the previous week and their plans for the future. Therese didn’t even try to conceal her sadness when Carol told her about her desperation to forget, understanding because she tried to do the same though in a very different way or her jealousy when her encounter with another woman was mentioned, knowing that perhaps she was exaggerating because absolutely nothing had happened but she couldn’t help it. Her insecurities took the best of her at first, making her wonder how it was possible that Carol would want to give up on a life where she could do anything she wanted for her.

Therese had looked away from her after the revelation until Carol said her name, raw concern in her tone, begging her to let her in and when her eyes found Carol’s, Therese knew that she never wanted to see that kind of doubt in the other woman or feel it ever again, not when they had admitted their feelings for each other. Carol was here with her because that’s what she wanted, her decision about wanting a life with her and Rindy one she had taken on her own. It would be stupid on her part to minimize the importance of that for something that Carol wasn’t proud of. So Therese reassured her with a soft smile, caressing the side of her face with one hand, slowly approaching her to kiss her with adoration.

After that, more relaxed now that there was nothing hanging between them, they had snuggled in each other’s arms on the couch, talking about Carol’s plans about looking for a place to stay in town. They extended the conversation even when it was clear that they were falling asleep thanks to their slurred words, not aware that they were slowly moving until they were laying down, Therese’s head on Carol’s chest, legs hooking together and arms grasping protectively. The young woman ended up falling asleep first and after sighing contentedly, happy to have the woman she loved back in her arms, Carol kissed the other woman’s head, reaching into her pocket without moving too much to pull her cell phone out and take a picture that she then sent to Abby.

“Hi, Rindy,” Carol said when she felt more vivacious, sitting on the couch, surprised when the little girl climbed into her lap.

“You came back,” she said in wonder, holding onto Carol’s biceps.

“I did. It wasn’t my intention to leave but-” She paused, her brain still a little foggy to come up with a credible excuse. Therese had mentioned that she hadn’t been entirely honest with her sister when she asked about her and Carol didn’t have a problem to be the one taking all the blame, not wanting to create some sort of conflict between them.

“It was my fault, Rindy.” Therese intervened just when Carol was opening her mouth to speak again and two pairs of eyes looked at her way. “It was a misunderstanding.” She didn’t want to delve into specifics at the moment; it was too early and she was still sleepy but she wasn’t going to let Carol deal with this alone. “I’m going to explain you later, you just need to know that it wasn’t her fault. At least not entirely,” she added when Carol narrowed her eyes at her because the way she saw it, both had been at fault.

Rindy frowned adorably at her sister before looking at Carol. “But you are going to stay now? You won’t leave ever again?”

Carol lifted a hand to caress Rindy’s cheek. “I’m going to stay as long as you two want me around.” Rindy squealed, launching at her to hug her.

“I don’t want you to leave, ever,” she admitted in a whisper once she pulled back, keeping her eyes on Carol’s chest as if she was embarrassed or afraid to be rejected. “You make us happy. You make me feel like … Tee and I can have a new family.”

Therese gasped, a lonely tear escaping from her eyes. “Rindy …”

“I know I barely know you but I feel like everything will be okay for us if you are around, that you are going to take care of us.” She started to fidget with her hands. “It’s silly but I like to think that Mom sent you to us.”

There was a part of Therese that was thankful that her sister didn’t say this to her when Carol wasn’t around because she would have become a crying mess, like the one she was at the moment but at least there was the comfort of having Carol’s presence with them. Carol held her breath at the warm sensation that traveled all over her body thanks to the confession. She knew that being with Therese signified a deeper commitment than only wanting to have a relationship with her and she was sure she was ready for it, knowing that in case of having the slightest doubt, she wouldn’t have come back to them, wanting to avoid hurting them. There was no way she could know what the future had store for them but she was all-in about discovering it.

Carol cleared her throat before speaking, touched by the words. “I’m glad you feel that because there’s nothing I want more than being with you two.”

Rindy’s smile was as bright as the sun and in the next second, she was hugging her again. Carol looked at Therese who was wiping away her tears, smiling when their eyes found each other. The woman was using one arm to hug the little girl so she used the other to make a gesture for Therese to get closer. Understanding, she slid next to them, wrapping her arms around both of them, kissing her sister’s head before she looked at Carol, both smiling, enamored as they moved forward to kiss. They were pecking each other’s lips over and over again until they laughed at Rindy’s interruption, saying that she was hungry, totally oblivious to what they were doing.

Once the little girl got down off the couch, she headed to the kitchen after Therese told her to go and that they would follow. Carol tilted her head in fascinated contemplation. “That was an interesting way to be awakened.”

“Yeah, well.” Therese was already on her feet. “Get used to it.” She smiled happily and stretched an arm towards Carol, who didn’t hesitate to take her hand so they could make their way to the kitchen together.

 

* * *

 

**_A few years later_ **

“All right. You remember what I told you, right?” Carol waited for Rindy to nod. “Arms and everything inside the sidecar.”

“And no funny business,” Therese added, standing next to her girlfriend with crossed arms, looking stern.

“I know, I know! We have had this conversation endless times by now!” Rindy frowned a little.

“Yeah well, deal with it. It’s what happens when you are, along with your sister, the most important person to me,” Carol said, feeling nonchalant at the girl’s frustration.

Rindy smiled tenderly, never getting tired of hearing how much Carol loved her. “I know … but there’s no need to repeat the same things you two have told me during the last three months.” She rolled her eyes.

“She totally learned that from you,” Therese tried to complain, turning her head at Carol, looking her with narrowed eyes but there was a hint of a smile on her lips.

“She learned it from Abby!” Carol defended herself, trying not to laugh.

“Stop blaming me when you are having a family discussion and you think I’m not around yet!” Three heads turned into the direction of the newcomers, too distracted that they hadn’t heard Abby’s bike pulling over.

“It was about damn time you two got here.” Carol changed the subject while Rindy got out of the sidecar, the latest addition Carol had made to her bike to make this trip possible, to hug Abby once she turned the bike off to be able to get off of it and greet the girl appropriately before she went and did the same with Genevieve.

Carol looked at Therese, raising an eyebrow as her girlfriend raised both of hers, sharing a knowing look before they chuckled. Their friends had been together for a little over a year, and they still felt the same amazement they had felt the first time they saw them kissing, though it was losing its effect as time went by. After the first encounter between them, they had been worried about the prospect of them seeing each other again but they knew that it was something they couldn’t delay since they were their respective best friends. Genevieve had welcomed Carol with open arms once she knew she was serious about her friend and the same could be said about Abby towards Therese but it wasn’t a politeness they shared towards each other the second time they were face to face. A heated argument became their distinctive sign every time they were in the same room. No matter how many times Carol and Therese talked with them in private, always convinced them to try harder the next time … the result never changed.

Until one day, Rindy, who had adored Abby since the first day they spent time together, asked for both of them to babysit her. Neither Carol and Therese thought something good could come from that but there wasn’t a way to make Rindy change her mind, no matter how much they tried. When they returned from their date, they found Abby and Genevieve locked in a passionate kiss that left them frozen in their place unable to do anything but look open-mouthed, feeling like they had stepped into an unknown dimension. Fortunately, Carol was able to react to put a stop to the show when she saw her friend unbuttoning Genevieve’s blouse. Both claimed that nothing extraordinary happened, that it was as if the universe aligned because it became easy to talk without screaming at each other. After what she saw, Carol deduced all their arguments was only the sexual tension they didn’t want to admit due to their first encounter.

At first, Carol had been worried about such outcome, not giving Abby the benefit of the doubt, thinking that this was just an affair like the ones she was used to having. It didn’t help that it was exactly what her friend was showing. But once she saw the way Abby looked at Genevieve when she thought nobody else was looking, seeing the way her eyes softened as if there was nothing better than her, a tender smile curving her lips, Carol was able to breathe in peace, happy that her friend had found someone who shattered all the opinions she used to have. In Therese’s case, she cheered them on from the very beginning, thrilled to have someone who now understood how it was what she was living, especially because it meant taking revenge of all the teasing Genevieve did when she told her that she was worse than a smitten and horny teenager.

Taking advantage that Rindy was distracted, Therese took Carol’s hands, prompting her to stand in front of her to then take their joined hands behind her back. Carol smiled at her, intertwining their fingers at her lower back when Therese removed her hands to place them on her shoulders. Carol leaned down her head to nuzzle her nose against Therese’s before kissing the tip. “You haven’t changed your mind about this?”

“Why would I?” She seemed really confused.

“You might be her sister but you act like a worried mother sometimes.” Therese rolled her eyes. “See? I’m not the one who is teaching her that.”

“Shut up.” She hit her shoulder playfully. “I told you years ago that I trust you, Carol. That, obviously, makes Rindy part of it.” She raised up on her tiptoes and spoke against her lips. “You make us feel secure and cherished. And don’t make me start talking about the loved part because I will never finish talking.” She kissed Carol softly when the woman smiled. “If I waited so long for this it wasn’t because I don’t trust you, it was because it was impossible to keep calm that little ball of energy for long periods of time.”

“That hasn't changed much though.” She chuckled with fondness.

“True, but she listens to you. She knows this is important to you and that she is important to you. I know you have been wanting to do this with both of us since a long time ago but I wanted to wait so Rindy could understand the importance of this.” Because it wasn’t just a simple ride; Carol was sharing a part of her.

It had been during the first time Carol and Therese made the decision to leave for a weekend after becoming a couple and Rindy threw a fit when they told her she couldn’t come with them when Carol decided to share this part of her life with her. With the little girl sitting on her lap, Carol explained the necessary of her past to explain why riding a bike wasn’t just a way of transportation for her, that the fact of not making her part of it this time was due to the fact that her bike didn’t have the right implements but that she was working on it because there was nothing she wanted more than to do this with the people she loved, to turn the two things she loved into one. Rindy had listened with fascination as she always did when Carol said something, feeling reassured that someday she could be part of it, though she still pouted when she saw them leaving.

Carol hummed before searching for her girlfriend’s mouth, not helping herself as she slid one of her hands, caressing the curve of her ass. Therese let her do until Carol’s hand was cupping her without shame. She broke the kiss, looking over Carol’s shoulder to confirm they weren’t looking at them. “You don’t fool me, you asked Abby and Gen to join us so they could distract Rindy and you could get away with this.”

Therese snorted at Carol’s exaggerated offended expression. “Really, Miss Belivet? Whatever do you mean?” She squinted. “I think you are confusing me with someone else.” At hearing the steps moving towards them, she patted Therese’s ass softly as she kissed her cheek before letting go, making the young woman blush as she pretended it didn’t happen.

“Look what Abby got me!” Rindy held a small leather jacket in front of her face for them to see. It was the one with the patches of their club but in her size. Carol felt emotional at the gesture and she was grateful to be wearing her sunglasses, though she knew that everyone would know what it meant to her.

“Now you have a big Carol and a mini Carol,” Abby said at Therese, whose dimples were deep in her cheeks because even before the jacket, Rindy’s outfit was already a copy of Carol’s.

At the lack of Carol’s response, Therese rubbed her back before walking towards Genevieve, kissing Abby hello in her way, both women understanding. Once she was left alone with Rindy, Carol took the jacket, helping her to put it on, then she crouched in front of her. “You ready for this?”

“Yes!” There was excitement in her eyes. “I want to learn about what makes you happy.”

Carol smiled softly. “You already know so much about you and your sister though.” She couldn’t help herself.

Rindy rolled her eyes, sighing deeply, as if she was trying to be patient. “Fine, about the second thing that makes you happy.”

“All right, but you don’t have to pretend to like it if you don’t only because I like it, you know that, right?” She knew how much Rindy looked up to her and there had been times when she did things she particularly didn’t want only to look good in her eyes. Carol had been working on that but she wanted to be sure.

“I promise I won’t do that … I know this is important for you and I will be sincere about it,” she said seriously. Carol smiled, pulling the girl into a lingering hug as she closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation it was giving her to be finally able to do this with her.

When Carol straightened up, Rindy ran towards the other women and Abby turned her face into her friend’s direction before making her way to her. “Who would have thought that one day we were going to have a family trip, instead of going from bar to bar finding random people to spend a night?”

“Who would have thought that you would give up on that for a person you couldn’t exchange a word without screaming during the first six times you saw each other?” Not that it got better after those times, but at least they had changed the screaming for annoyed stares.

Abby laughed, running a hand through her hair, looking back at Genevieve for a moment. “I think I love her.”

“You think?” Carol raised an eyebrow as she performed another check of their stuff because it was clear to her.

“Okay, fine, I do.” Abby sighed. “It’s strange.”

“Loving her?” She looked at her friend.

“No … how right it feels after the mentality I used to have,” she admitted in a shy whisper. “Was it the same to you?”

“Yes, but I never had that mentality and I accepted it faster than you, which was why within about two weeks of knowing her I was living here.” Her eyes were back to the trunk but she was now ruffling through the things in there.

“I think I’m ready for that … wait no, I am ready for that.” She looked back at her girlfriend that was laughing with Therese, but at the feeling of her eyes on her, she turned her head to look at her.

Genevieve sighed contentedly; without looking away from Abby, she spoke, changing the topic of the conversation she was having with Therese. “You think it’s too early to ask her to live with me?”

Therese laughed. “You realize that you are asking that question to a person who had her girlfriend living with her since the moment we became a couple officially?” She had told Carol that there was no point for her to stay at a hotel as she looked for a place to live, not expecting to get used to their domesticity so quickly that the idea of Carol living in her own place filled her with dread.

She looked back at her friend. “But Carol wanted to stay here. You know Abby comes and goes.” After they grew closer, her stays were longer lasting but technically she wasn’t living there. Therese was in awe of her friend for being able to deal with that.

“Just talk to her, Gen … if you want things to change, you have to do something about it.” She smiled reassuringly.

“I want them to change for the better and this has the risk to change it for the bad.”

“Every decision has that risk. I screwed up at one point, but my bad turned into the most glorious thing.” She shrugged. “So you can never tell.”

Genevieve sighed resignedly. “Just know that I’m going to blame you for everything if things go wrong.”

Therese snorted. “If that makes you feel better …” She squeezed her friend’s forearm when she saw Abby coming back to her girlfriend as she walked next to her, going back to Carol behind Rindy, who was getting slightly angsty, wanting to leave.

“You said we were going once Abby and Gen arrived,” Rindy whined, throwing her head back dramatically once she was close to Carol, who chuckled amusedly.

“We are. I was just checking everything we need was here.” She closed the trunk, satisfied that nothing was missing.

“You always say that you only need me and Tee to be happy.”

“True, but you two are a little bit demanding sometimes, so I have to keep you happy so this trip runs smoothly.” Carol got two pairs of crossed arms and furrowed eyebrows as answer. She made one disappear by kissing her girlfriend’s lips and the other by picking the girl up to place her in the sidecar. Rindy was smiling happily as Carol fastened her seatbelt, beaming once she reached for the small helmet that had been resting on the bike’s seat. “I’m not going to repeat what we have told you during the last three months, just know that I love you.” She knew that was enough for Rindy to understand what she was trying to say. Carol smiled before kissing the girl’s forehead, placing the helmet on her head in the next second, making sure it was well placed but without causing any kind of discomfort.

Therese was looking at them with a tender look, her heart still able to melt whenever she saw that kind of moments between them. Carol was barely straightening up when she was tugged forcefully towards Therese, who kissed her eagerly, completely ignoring the complaints of their friends to get a room as Rindy growled. Carol blinked, feeling somehow dazed after the action. “Oh. I love you too, you don’t have to feel neglected,” she joked, placing another kiss on Therese’s lips.

“I’m not worried about that.” Therese played along, lowering her voice to a seductive whisper. “You know to whom you belong.” She smiled, pleased when she felt Carol shivering but it vanished in order to purse her lips to avoid a moan when the woman spoke in her ear.

“I can say the same about you … you have hickeys all over you to prove it and a tattoo matching my own.” It was Carol’s turn to smile when Therese’s trembled as she took her earlobe with her teeth though she pulled away when Rindy huffed with annoyance. “We’ leaving, we’re leaving.”

Carol hopped onto the bike first as she always did so Therese could use her to keep her balance but before either of them put their helmet on, Therese placed a hand on Carol’s cheek, making her turn her head enough to see her. “I love you.” She scooted over the seat to join their bodies, kissing her girlfriend’s cheek. “Now let’s show her the world through your eyes.”

Carol’s heart was ready to burst at those words because the childish excitement her girlfriend had shown since the first time she took her on a ride was still there. After checking Therese had on her helmet, Carol put hers on but she looked at Abby first before lowering the visor. Her friend was saying something to Genevieve but her eyes locked with hers and Carol could see the wrinkles around them, signaling the moment Abby smiled before she winked at her. Once she returned the gesture, Carol lowered the visor, starting the engine to take off, listening very clearly to Rindy’s squee that made her laugh in delight.

Therese wrapped her arms around Carol’s waist slowly while rested her chin on her shoulder. For a moment, she closed her eyes, revelling in the wonderful sensation of sheer happiness that Carol’s presence brought to their lives from the very first moment; knowing that now that the last curtain between them would disappear, Rindy would be more than willing, just like Therese, to follow her to wherever she wanted to take them because as long as they were together, it was enough for her.


End file.
